An RBD bispecific antibody effectively neutralizes a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Potent neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 are a promising therapeutic against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the continuous emergence of neutralizing antibody escape variants makes it challenging for antibody therapeutics based on monospecific nAbs. Here, we generated an IgG-like bispecific antibody (bsAb), Bi-Nab, based on a pair of human neutralizing antibodies targeting multiple and invariant sites of the spike receptor binding domain (RBD): 35B5 and 32C7. We demonstrated that Bi-Nab exhibited higher binding affinity to the Delta spike protein than its parental antibodies and presented an extended inhibition breadth of preventing RBD binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, pseudovirus neutralization results showed that Bi-Nab improved the neutralization potency and breadth with a lower half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) against wild-type SARS-CoV-2, variants being monitored (VBMs) and variants of concern (VOCs). Notably, the IgG-like Bi-Nab enhanced the neutralizing activity against Omicron variants with potent capabilities for transmission and immune evasion in comparison with its parental monoclonal antibody (mAb) 32C7 and a cocktail (with the lowest IC50 values of 31.6 ng/mL against the Omicron BA.1 and 399.2 ng/mL against the Omicron BA.2), showing evidence of synergistic neutralization potency of Bi-Nab against the Omicron variants. Thus, Bi-Nab represents a feasible and effective strategy against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Exploring genetic associations between allergic diseases and indicators of COVID-19 using mendelian randomization.

We carried out a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) including cases of eczema (N = 218,792), asthma (N = 462,933), and allergic rhinitis (N = 112,583). COVID-19 susceptibility (N = 1,683,768), COVID-19 hospitalization (N = 1,887,658), and COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (N = 1,388,342) were sampled from GWAS database. The MR analysis was primarily based on inverse variance weighted (IVW), supplemented by several other algorithms. In the bidirectional MR analysis, eczema was negatively associated with COVID-19 susceptibility (odds ratio (OR) IVW = 0.92; p = 0.031) and COVID-19 hospitalization (ORIVW = 0.81, p = 0.010); asthma was negatively associated with COVID-19 susceptibility (ORIVW = 0.65, p = 0.005) and COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (ORIVW = 0.20, p = 0.001). No significant association was found between allergic rhinitis and COVID-19 susceptibility (ORIVW = 0.80, p = 0.174), COVID-19 hospitalization (ORIVW = 0.71, p = 0.207), or COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (ORIVW = 0.56; p = 0.167). The reverse MR analysis showed no potential reverse causal association. Our findings provided new evidence that allergic diseases might be associated with different risks of COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severe respiratory symptom.

Human factors analysis and risk assessment during the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic: a case study of the 2019 Wuhan outbreak in China

Since the discovery of novel coronavirus pneumonia (Covid-19) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, it has spread to other Chinese provinces and continents in just one month, becoming a "public health emergency of international concern". The undesired behaviors of the public and patients during the Covid-19 epidemic cannot be ignored, but few scholars have studied them. In this study, we firstly adopted a qualitative analysis method based on a theoretical paradigm to to summarize the human factors in the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, and defined the concept of "human factors of the epidemic". Then, we analyzed the distribution characteristics of "human factors of epidemic" at each stage by using statistical analysis, and constructed a human factors model of epidemic evolution. Finally, a multi-subject risk assessment model was constructed using a fuzzy Bayesian network analysis method to quantify the human factors risk in the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The results of the study are as follows. (1) The human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic mainly focused on five aspects, including cognitive bias, defective design, management bias, environmental defects, and intentional violations. (2) There were differences in the human factors at different stages of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. In the outbreak stage, human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic showed complex trends, with factors such as lack of knowledge and low awareness still prevailing on the one hand, and factors such as lack of capacity, overtly agree but covertly oppose, dereliction of duty, concealment and misreporting, lack of resources, protection defects, design defects, escape/fleeing, and public gathering on the other hand also being more prominent. (3) The risk of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic due to undesired human factors in the subjects involved was high (p=0.641) under conventional intervention scenarios. Risk factors such as low awareness, poor decision making, lack of resources, lack of awareness, system deficiencies, public agglomeration, inadequate protection, misreporting, and dereliction of duty had relatively large sensitivity factors and were key human factors for the spread of the epidemic in Wuhan. Finally, targeted recommendations are proposed based on the evolutionary pattern and risk level of the human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Study on factors influencing college students' digital academic reading behavior.

Background: Affected by the COVID-19, many colleges have adopted online teaching. Meanwhile, the digital transformation of academic journals has shifted readers' reading habits from traditional paper media to digital media. Digital academic reading has become the main reading method of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral characteristics of college students' digital academic reading and explore the internal factors and external environmental factors affecting the Intention and Use behavior of digital academic reading. At the same time this study provide recommendations to address these influencing factors in terms of the individual, the environment and library resources. Methods: Based on UTAUT2 model and digital academic reading theories, this paper constructs a digital academic reading information behavior (DARB) model of college students to examine college students' digital academic reading behavior and intention. College students with digital academic reading behavior were recruited as research participants. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect representative samples from universities in Nanjing. 239 respondents participated in the questionnaire, with 189 providing valid data. Results: Effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), price value (PV), perceived risk (PR) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on behavioral intention (BI), and behavioral intention (BI) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on use behavior (B). However, performance expectancy (PE) and facilitating conditions (FC) have no significant influence on behavioral intention (BI). Originality/value: The findings of this study will help fill the gap in previous research on the relationship between the influencing factors of digital academic reading and college students' reading intentions and behaviors, so as to provide a basis for improving the academic reading literacy program in colleges and optimizing the current digital academic reading environment.

Study on factors influencing college students' digital academic reading behavior

Background Affected by the COVID-19, many colleges have adopted online teaching. Meanwhile, the digital transformation of academic journals has shifted readers' reading habits from traditional paper media to digital media. Digital academic reading has become the main reading method of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral characteristics of college students' digital academic reading and explore the internal factors and external environmental factors affecting the Intention and Use behavior of digital academic reading. At the same time this study provide recommendations to address these influencing factors in terms of the individual, the environment and library resources. Methods Based on UTAUT2 model and digital academic reading theories, this paper constructs a digital academic reading information behavior (DARB) model of college students to examine college students' digital academic reading behavior and intention. College students with digital academic reading behavior were recruited as research participants. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect representative samples from universities in Nanjing. 239 respondents participated in the questionnaire, with 189 providing valid data. Results: Effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), price value (PV), perceived risk (PR) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on behavioral intention (BI), and behavioral intention (BI) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on use behavior (B). However, performance expectancy (PE) and facilitating conditions (FC) have no significant influence on behavioral intention (BI). Originality/value The findings of this study will help fill the gap in previous research on the relationship between the influencing factors of digital academic reading and college students' reading intentions and behaviors, so as to provide a basis for improving the academic reading literacy program in colleges and optimizing the current digital academic reading environment.

Trajectories and predictors of vicarious traumatization in Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

Objectives: This longitudinal study aimed to identify the trajectories and the predictors among sociodemographic and psychosocial variables at baseline of vicarious traumatization (VT) in Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: A total of 544 Chinese college students enrolled in a public University in central China, majored in Clinical Medicine, Nursing, Musicology, Physics, etc., participated in this longitudinal study lasting 19 months. Three-wave (wave 1: February 2020; wave 2: November 2020; wave 3: September 2021) of data were collected. Resourcefulness Scale and the 10-item Kessler scale (K10) were only assessed in the first-wave survey, and the Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was repeatedly measured in all three-wave surveys. A link to an online survey created by Questionnaire Star (https://www.wjx.cn/) was sent to the students to collect data. The Growth mixture modeling (GMM) and multiple logistic regression were used to identify the trajectories of VT and predictors for the distinct trajectories. Results: The incidence of VT at each wave varied from 9.9% at wave 1, 4.0% at wave 2, to 2.6% at wave 3. Three trajectories of VT were the medium-level escalating group (3.0%), medium-level maintaining group (32.3%), and the low-level descending group (64.7%). Seniors (OR = 1.575, 95% CI: 1.059-2.341; OR = 1.161, 95% CI: 1.043-1.293) and those with poor mental health status (OR = 1.101, 95% CI: 1.030-1.177; OR = 1.083, 95% CI: 1.060-1.106) at baseline were more likely to be classified into the medium-level escalating group and medium-level maintaining group, respectively. Additionally, females (OR = 3.601, 95% CI: 1.311-9.887) were more likely to be included in the medium-level escalating group. Conclusion: Targeted psychological interventions are urgently needed for students vulnerable to VT. Further studies with more representative samples, longer period of follow-up, and predictors based on scientific theoretical framework, are needed to update the findings.

Association of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with psychological symptoms among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Mental health of college students has become a public health issue of common concern worldwide. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem has become even more acute. The aim of this study was to assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption and psychological symptoms among Chinese college students in order to promote their mental health. Methods: The study population was 6,120 college students aged 19-22 years from Anhui, Henan and Xinjiang, China. Basic demographic information, covariates and SSB Consumption data were collected through a self-assessment questionnaire. The "Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents" was used to assess the psychological symptoms of college students. The Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA and logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the differences and associations between SSB consumption and psychological symptoms among Chinese college students. Results: The detection rate of psychological symptoms among Chinese college students was 8.1%. The detection rate of boys students was 9.4% and that of girls students was 7.1%, and the difference was statistically significant in comparison (χ 2-value was 11.08, p < 0.001). After controlling for covariates, Model 2 analysis showed that compared to SSB consumption <2 time/week, college students with SSB consumption ≥2 time/week (OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 2.36, 3.70) had a higher risk of psychological symptoms (p < 0.001). The same trend was found for emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and social adaptation difficulties dimensions. Conclusion: There is an association between SSB consumption and the occurrence of psychological symptoms among Chinese college students. Future measures should be taken to reduce both SSB consumption and the incidence of psychological symptoms.

Interval-Valued Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making with Dependent Evaluation Criteria for Evaluating Service Performance of International Container Ports

Due to COVID-19 barriers, the needs of international container ports have become more important than in the past. Therefore, it is very critical and essential for the scientific developments of port-logistics. To gain the scientific developments of port logistics, effective and efficient evaluation methods for decision-making are indispensable, especially for assessing service performance of international container ports based on dependent evaluation criteria (DEC). Among numerous decision-making methods, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was often expanded under fuzzy environments into fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM) to preserve imprecise messages. The FMCDM was able to be associated with quality function deployment (QFD) into a hybrid method to solve problems with DEC. To gain more messages, QFD and TOPSIS are combined and then expanded under interval-valued fuzzy environment (IVFE) to solve a FMCDM problem with DEC. Practically, evaluating service performance of international container ports in Taiwan and the surrounding sea areas is considered a problem with DEC because the related evaluation criteria are partially connected. By the hybrid method of combining QFD with TOPSIS under IVFE, international container ports with DEC are effectively and efficiently evaluated for service performance, and more insights are gained than the past for establishing essential fundamentals in recent scientific developments of port logistics on account of breaking down COVID-19 barriers.

Spatial region-resolved proteome map reveals mechanism of COVID-19-associated heart injury.

Direct myocardial and vascular injuries due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-driven inflammation is the leading cause of acute cardiac injury associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, in-depth knowledge of the injury characteristics of the heart affected by inflammation is lacking. In this study, using a quantitative spatial proteomics strategy that combines comparative anatomy, laser-capture microdissection, and histological examination, we establish a region-resolved proteome map of the myocardia and microvessels with obvious inflammatory cells from hearts of patients with COVID-19. A series of molecular dysfunctions of myocardia and microvessels is observed in different cardiac regions. The myocardia and microvessels of the left atrial are the most susceptible to virus infection and inflammatory storm, suggesting more attention should be paid to the lesion and treatment of these two parts. These results can guide in improving clinical treatments for cardiovascular diseases associated with COVID-19.

Electric screen time of urban preschoolers during and before COVID-19

Objective: To determine the influencing factors of electronic screen time of urban preschoolers before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, so as to provide a scientific basis for the control of digital screen use and early prevention of myopia among preschoolers.

Discovery of 4'-O-methylscutellarein as a potent SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in millions of deaths and seriously threatened public health and safety. Despite COVID-19 vaccines being readily popularized worldwide, targeted therapeutic agents for the treatment of this disease remain very limited. Here, we studied the inhibitory activity of the scutellarein and its methylated derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Among all the methylated derivatives we studied, 4'-O-methylscutellarein exhibited the most promising enzyme inhibitory activity in vitro, with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration value (IC50) of 0.40 ± 0.03 µM. Additionally, the mechanism of action of the hits was further characterized through enzyme kinetic studies and molecular docking. Overall, our results implied that 4'-O-methylscutellarein could be a primary lead compound with clinical potential for the development of inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro.

Screen use behavior before and after COVID-19 among primary and middle school students in Shanghai

Objective: The current situation and associated factors of primary and middle school students' screen time and related eye hygiene in different periods before and after COVID-19 were investigated, so as to provide a scientific basis for taking targeted measures of preventing and controlling myopia among those students. Methods A total of 11 402 students were selected from 24 primary schools, 18 junior high schools and 16 high schools by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. And a questionnaire survey was conducted among students and their parents to understand students' screen time and screen hygiene behaviors and related factors in different periods before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Results The rate of screen overuse was 7.26%, 9.12% and 35.30% during school days, weekends and home study, respectively. The overuse rate of mobile phones and tablets at home increases with the increase of school stage. Totally 16.30% of students use mobile phones for online learning. The screen overuse rate of those who have not been diagnosed with myopia was lower than that of those who have been diagnosed during home study(OR=0.77, P < 0.05). The higher the parents' educational level was, the lower the screen overuse rate of children during the weekends became(P < 0.05). In any period, the high proportion of screens used in homework and poor home screen eye environment increased the risk of screen overuse and poor eye hygiene (P < 0.05). Parental good behavior was conducive to reducing the risk(OR=0.65-0.97, P < 0.05). When the family had regulation on the screen use time, the implementation of laxity would increase the risk of screen overuse (OR=1.18-2.48, P < 0.05). Conclusion The screen overuse rate of urban primary and middle school students during home study is high, and a certain proportion of students still use mobile phones for online learning. The proportion of screens used in homework, home screen eye environment and screen use management are related to screens overuse. More attention should be paid to those with myopia and low educational level of parents. Coronavirus;Fixation, ocular;Behavior;Regression analysis;Students.

Out of the shadows: Impact of SARS experience on Chinese netizens' willingness to donate for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

While charitable donations help to raise funds and contribute to pandemic prevention and control, there are many unanswered questions about how people make such donation decisions, especially in countries like China where charitable donations have played an increasing role in recent years. This study contributes to the literature by assessing the potential impacts of Chinese netizens' experience with the 2002 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic on their willingness to donate for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. Specifically, this study applies a difference-in-differences (DID) model to a dataset collected from a nationwide survey to examine how individuals' exposure to the SARS epidemic affects their willingness to donate to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that individuals' SARS epidemic experiences in their early lives, especially during the "childhood-adolescence" period, had a lasting and far-reaching impact on their willingness to donate toward COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. Also, the impacts were likely heterogeneous by such sociodemographic factors as educational background, health status, and income level. The empirical findings highlight the importance of considering early-life experiences in developing and implementing epidemic prevention and control policies. While the SARS experience likely affected Chinese netizens' willingness to donate toward COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, lessons learned from both the SARS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic could be used to develop more effective public health education and prevention programs as well as to increase public donations for future pandemic prevention and control.

Scientometric Analysis of Public Health Emergencies: 1994-2020.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research hotspots and frontiers in the field of public health emergencies (PHE) between 1994-2020 through the scientometric analysis method. In total, 2247 literature works retrieved from the Web of Science core database were analyzed by CiteSpace software, and the results were displayed in knowledge mapping. The overall characteristics analysis showed that the number of publications and authors in the field of PHE kept an upward trend during the past decades, and the United States was in the leading position, followed by China and England. Switzerland has the highest central value and plays an important intermediary role in promoting the integration and exchange of international PHE research achievements. The keyword co-occurrence analysis indicated that COVID-19 was the most high-frequency keyword in this field, and there had been no new keywords for a long time until the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019. The burst detection analysis showed that the top five burst keywords in terms of burst intensity were zika virus, Ebola, United States, emergency preparedness and microcephaly. The results indicated that the research theme of PHE is closely related to the major infectious diseases in a specific period. It will continue to develop with more attention paid to public health. The conclusions can provide help and reference for the PHE potential researchers.

Establishment of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Skin Organoids Enabled Pathophysiological Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with impact on skin and hair loss are reported. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is detected in the skin of some patients; however, the detailed pathological features of skin tissues from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a molecular level are limited. Especially, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect skin cells and impact their function is not well understood. A proteome map of COVID-19 skin is established here and the susceptibility of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived skin organoids with hair follicles and nervous system is investigated, to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is shown that KRT17+ hair follicles can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and are associated with the impaired development of hair follicles and epidermis. Different types of nervous system cells are also found to be infected, which can lead to neuron death. Findings from the present work provide evidence for the association between COVID-19 and hair loss. hiPSC-derived skin organoids are also presented as an experimental model which can be used to investigate the susceptibility of skin cells to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can help identify various pathological mechanisms and drug screening strategies.

Community Intervention System: COVID-19 Control in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

The COVID-19 epidemic has caused giant influences on people's life, and China's communities play an important role in dealing with these major public health events (MPHEs). Community as the grassroots autonomous organization has various significant functions in intervening in MPHEs. The community intervention follows a system which directly influences the anti-epidemic effectiveness. To explore the mechanism, we devise a theoretical system for community intervention, mainly consisting of "organizational structure", "functional performance" and "internal and external connections". Questionnaire surveys, the chi-square test, the independent sample T-test, and principal component analysis are used to identify the characteristics of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's (Inner Mongolia) community intervention. Through the empirical research, it is verified that the community intervention in MPHEs is the combination of "the structural response of the organization", "the performance of the community's own function", and "the establishment of internal and external connections". The central Inner Mongolia delivers the best performance in community intervention compared to eastern Inner Mongolia and western Inner Mongolia. The urban communities commonly perform better than that in the agricultural and pastoral areas. The built system and findings could provide a guidance for future community to improve its intervention capability.