Psychological capital and alienation among patients with COVID-19 infection: the mediating role of social support.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 infection continues all over the world, causing serious physical and psychological impacts to patients. Patients with COVID-19 infection suffer from various negative emotional experiences such as anxiety, depression, mania, and alienation, which seriously affect their normal life and is detrimental to the prognosis. Our study is aimed to investigate the effect of psychological capital on alienation among patients with COVID-19 and the mediating role of social support in this relationship. METHODS: The data were collected in China by the convenient sampling. A sample of 259 COVID-19 patients completed the psychological capital, social support and social alienation scale and the structural equation model was adopted to verify the research hypotheses. RESULTS: Psychological capital was significantly and negatively related to the COVID-19 patients' social alienation (p < .01). And social support partially mediated the correlation between psychological capital and patients' social alienation (p < .01). CONCLUSION: Psychological capital is critical to predicting COVID-19 patients' social alienation. Social support plays an intermediary role and explains how psychological capital alleviates the sense of social alienation among patients with COVID-19 infection.

Latent profile analysis of security among patients with COVID-19 infection in mobile cabin hospitals and its relationship with psychological capital.

Aim: COVID-19 patients' security is related to their mental health. However, the classification of this group's sense of security is still unclear. The aim of our research is to clarify the subtypes of security of patients infected with COVID-19, explore the factors affecting profile membership, and examine the relationship between security and psychological capital for the purpose of providing a reference for improving patients' sense of security and mental health. Methods: A total of 650 COVID-19 patients in a mobile cabin hospital were selected for a cross-sectional survey from April to May 2022. They completed online self-report questionnaires that included a demographic questionnaire, security scale, and psychological capital scale. Data analysis included latent profile analysis, variance analysis, the Chi-square test, multiple comparisons, multivariate logistical regression, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: Three latent profiles were identified-low security (Class 1), moderate security (Class 2), and high security (Class 3)-accounting for 12.00, 49.51, and 38.49% of the total surveyed patients, respectively. In terms of the score of security and its two dimensions, Class 3 was higher than Class 2, and Class 2 was higher than Class 1 (all P < 0.001). Patients with difficulty falling asleep, sleep quality as usual, and lower tenacity were more likely to be grouped into Class 1 rather than Class 3; Patients from families with a per capita monthly household income <3,000 and lower self-efficacy and hope were more likely to be grouped into Classes 1 and 2 than into Class 3. Psychological capital was an important predictor of security, which could independently explain 18.70% of the variation in the patients' security. Conclusions: Security has different classification features among patients with COVID-19 infection in mobile cabin hospitals. The security of over half of the patients surveyed is at the lower or middle level, and psychological capital is an important predictor of the patients' security. Medical staff should actively pay attention to patients with low security and help them to improve their security level and psychological capital.

Latent profile analysis of security among patients with COVID-19 infection in mobile cabin hospitals and its relationship with psychological capital

Aim COVID-19 patients' security is related to their mental health. However, the classification of this group's sense of security is still unclear. The aim of our research is to clarify the subtypes of security of patients infected with COVID-19, explore the factors affecting profile membership, and examine the relationship between security and psychological capital for the purpose of providing a reference for improving patients' sense of security and mental health. Methods A total of 650 COVID-19 patients in a mobile cabin hospital were selected for a cross-sectional survey from April to May 2022. They completed online self-report questionnaires that included a demographic questionnaire, security scale, and psychological capital scale. Data analysis included latent profile analysis, variance analysis, the Chi-square test, multiple comparisons, multivariate logistical regression, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results Three latent profiles were identified—low security (Class 1), moderate security (Class 2), and high security (Class 3)—accounting for 12.00, 49.51, and 38.49% of the total surveyed patients, respectively. In terms of the score of security and its two dimensions, Class 3 was higher than Class 2, and Class 2 was higher than Class 1 (all P < 0.001). Patients with difficulty falling asleep, sleep quality as usual, and lower tenacity were more likely to be grouped into Class 1 rather than Class 3;Patients from families with a per capita monthly household income <3,000 and lower self-efficacy and hope were more likely to be grouped into Classes 1 and 2 than into Class 3. Psychological capital was an important predictor of security, which could independently explain 18.70% of the variation in the patients' security. Conclusions Security has different classification features among patients with COVID-19 infection in mobile cabin hospitals. The security of over half of the patients surveyed is at the lower or middle level, and psychological capital is an important predictor of the patients' security. Medical staff should actively pay attention to patients with low security and help them to improve their security level and psychological capital.

Induction of high affinity monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variant infection using a DNA prime-protein boost strategy.

BACKGROUND: Calls for the coronavirus to be treated as an endemic illness, such as the flu, are increasing. After achieving high coverage of COVID-19 vaccination, therapeutic drugs have become important for future SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks. Although many monoclonal antibodies have been approved for emergency use as treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection, some monoclonal antibodies are not authorized for variant treatment. Broad-spectrum monoclonal antibodies are unmet medical needs. METHODS: We used a DNA prime-protein boost approach to generate high-quality monoclonal antibodies. A standard ELISA was employed for the primary screen, and spike protein-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 blocking assays were used for the secondary screen. The top 5 blocking clones were selected for further characterization, including binding ability, neutralization potency, and epitope mapping. The therapeutic effects of the best monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection were evaluated in a hamster infection model. RESULTS: Several monoclonal antibodies were selected that neutralize different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). These VOCs include Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Kappa and Lambda variants. The high neutralizing antibody titers against the Beta variant would be important to treat Beta-like variants. Among these monoclonal antibodies, mAb-S5 displays the best potency in terms of binding affinity and neutralizing capacity. Importantly, mAb-S5 protects animals from SARS-CoV-2 challenge, including the Wuhan strain, D614G, Alpha and Delta variants, although mAb-S5 exhibits decreased neutralization potency against the Delta variant. Furthermore, the identified neutralizing epitopes of monoclonal antibodies are all located in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein but in different regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our approach generates high-potency monoclonal antibodies against a broad spectrum of VOCs. Multiple monoclonal antibody combinations may be the best strategy to treat future SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks.

Retrorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from a tailgut cyst: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Tailgut cysts are defined as congenital cysts that develop in the rectosacral space from the residue of the primitive tail. As a congenital disease, caudal cysts are very rare, and their canceration is even rarer, which makes the disease prone to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. We describe a case of caudal cyst with adenocarcinogenesis and summarize in detail the characteristics of cases with analytical value reported since 1990. CASE SUMMARY: A 35-year-old woman found a mass in her lower abdomen 2 mo ago. She was asymptomatic at that time and was not treated because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Two weeks ago, the patient developed abdominal distension and right waist discomfort and came to our hospital. Except for the high level of serum carcinoembryonic antigen, the medical history and laboratory tests were not remarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined, slightly lobulated cystic-solid mass with a straight diameter of approximately 10 cm × 9 cm in the presacral space, slightly high signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging, and moderate signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging. The mass was completely removed by laparoscopic surgery. Histopathological examination showed that the lesion was an intestinal mucinous adenocarcinoma, and the multidisciplinary team decided to implement postoperative chemotherapy. The patient recovered well, the tumor marker levels returned to normal, and tumor-free survival has been achieved thus far. CONCLUSION: The case and literature summary can help clinicians and researchers develop appropriate examination and therapeutic methods for diagnosis and treatment of this rare disease.

Adsorption of Different Pollutants by Using Microplastic with Different Influencing Factors and Mechanisms in Wastewater: A Review.

The studies on microplastics are significant in the world. According to the literature, microplastics have greatly specific surface areas, indicating high adsorption capacities for highly toxic pollutants in aquatic and soil environments, and these could be used as adsorbents. The influencing factors of microplastic adsorption, classification of microplastics, and adsorption mechanisms using microplastics for adsorbing organic, inorganic, and mixed pollutants are summarized in the paper. Furthermore, the influence of pH, temperature, functional groups, aging, and other factors related to the adsorption performances of plastics are discussed in detail. We found that microplastics have greater advantages in efficient adsorption performance and cost-effectiveness. In this paper, the adsorptions of pollutants by microplastics and their performance is proposed, which provides significant guidance for future research in this field.

Moderating role of healthcare disruptions on friend and family pandemic-related negative life events predicting latines' anxiety and alcohol use over time

The Latine community has experienced a disproportionate amount of pandemic-related negative life events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study, therefore, adopted a contextual and environmental lens to understand the moderating role of healthcare disruptions on friend and family pandemic-related negative life events (e.g., PRNLE) predicting anxiety and alcohol use over time. The current study was part of a more extensive longitudinal study on students' genetic and environmental experiences. Findings indicated that among Latines who experienced more significant healthcare disruptions, increased family PRNLE predicted greater alcohol use but not anxiety over time. Additionally, friend PRNLE did not significantly predict alcohol or anxiety with high or low healthcare disruptions present. Our findings suggest that Latines may rely on the family to navigate their concerns and mitigate the PRNLE when experiencing healthcare disruptions. Therefore, clinical and policy implications are discussed to reduce alcohol-related inequalities during the ongoing global pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The psychological outcomes of COVID-19 affected the pandemic-after risk perceptions of nurse clinicians: a latent profile analysis.

Background: Risk perception among nurses after the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial factor affecting their attitudes and willingness to work in clinics. Those with poor psychological status could perceive risks sensitively as fears or threats that are discouraging. This article aimed to determine whether psychological outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and insomnia, following the COVID-19 pandemic were differentially related to the risk perceptions of nurses working in clinics and increased perceived risk. Method: The participants were 668 nurse clinicians from five local hospitals. Risk perceptions and psychological outcomes were measured by adapted questionnaires via the Internet. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified subgroups of individuals who showed similar profiles regarding the perceived risks in nursing. Multinomial regression and probit regression were used to examine the extent to which sociodemographic and psychological outcomes predicted class membership. Results: LPA revealed four classes: groups with low-, mild-, moderate-, and high-level risk perceptions. Membership of the high-level risk perception class was predicted by the severity of psychological outcomes. Anxiety significantly accounted for a moderate increase in risk perceptions, while the symptoms of insomnia, depression, and PTSD accelerated the increase to the high level of risk perception class. Conclusions: By classifying groups of nurse clinicians sharing similar profiles regarding risk perceptions and then exploring associated predictors, this study shows the psychological outcomes after COVID-19 significantly impacted pandemic-associated risk perceptions and suggests intervening in nurses' psychological outcomes while simultaneously focusing on work-related worries is important following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Personalized individual semantics based consensus reaching process for large-scale group decision making with probabilistic linguistic preference relations and application to COVID-19 surveillance

This paper develops a new personalized individual semantic (PIS) based consensus reaching process (CRP) for large-scale group decision making (LSGDM) with probabilistic linguistic preference relations (PLPRs) and applies to the selection of COVID-19 surveillance plans. Firstly, considering that a linguistic term means different things to different decision makers (DMs), a new definition of distance between probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs) is defined considering the PIS of a DM. Then, a consistency-driven optimization model is built to determine the PIS of linguistic terms in a PLPR of a DM by maximizing the consistency of a PLPR. DMs’ weights can be acquired through a programming model by minimizing the distance between the individual semantic and the collective semantic. Besides, a clustering algorithm based on PIS is devised for dividing DMs into several subgroups with similar semantic. Based on the obtained subgroups, the corresponding moderators can be identified by DMs with unacceptable consensus level (CL). Several minimum preference adjustment models are constructed to obtain the adjusted PLPRs. These models not only can sufficiently consider the willingness of DMs to modify their preferences but also can improve their CLs in CRP. Finally, an illustration example of selection of college COVID-19 surveillance plans with exemplary data is offered to demonstrate the proposed method and to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Usefulness of Abdominal Massage and ST-36 (Zusanli) Acupressure in Improving The Appetite of COVID-19 Patients Treated in a Makeshift Hospital: A Randomized Controlled Trial (preprint)

Objectives: To investigate the appetite of COVID-19 patients treated in a makeshift hospital and to evaluate the effectiveness of abdominal massage and ST-36 (Zusanli) acupressure in improving their appetite. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: This study was performed between February 15 and March 2, 2020, in a sports centre makeshift hospital in Wuhan, China. The appetite of 110 COVID-19 patients was assessed using a mobile app-based Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ). The experimental and control groups, 55 patients each, were randomized using a prepared randomization checklist. Through video guidance and on-the-spot instruction, patients in the experimental group mastered the methods of abdominal massage and ST-36 (Zusanli) acupressure and implemented the intervention for 7 days by themselves. The appetite of the patients was assessed again after intervention. Results: : In a total of 110 participants, 43 (39.1%) patients suffered from a poor appetite. A positive correlation between poor appetite and older age as well as fever was observed ( p <0.05). In the experimental group, the SNAQ scores were significantly increased (14.07±2.46 vs 15.55±1.77, p =0.0004), and the proportion of patients with a poor appetite was markedly reduced after the intervention (41.8% vs 10.9%, p =0.0002). Compared with the control group, the rate of poor appetite in the experimental group was significantly decreased postintervention (27.3% vs 10.9%, p =0.029). Conclusion: In COVID-19 patients, a poor appetite may be correlated with older age and fever. Abdominal massage and ST-36 (Zusanli) acupressure are applicable and effective in improving the appetite of COVID-19 patients during isolation treatment. Trial registration: Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2000033261), the trial was registered retrospectively.

Epidemic Dynamics of COVID-19 Based on SEAIUHR Model Considering Asymptomatic Cases in Henan Province, China (preprint)

Background New coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by a type of novel coronavirus, has emerged in various countries since the end of 2019 and caused a global pandemic. Many infected people went undetected because their symptoms were mild or asymptomatic, but the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic infections remained unknown. Therefore, in this paper, we analyzed the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic cases, as we as the prevalence of COVID-19 in Henan province.Methods We constructed SEAIUHR model based on COVID-19 cases reported from 21 January to 26 February 2020 in Henan province to estimate the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic cases, as we as the change of effective reproductive number, \({R}_{t}\). At the same time, we simulated the changes of cases in different scenarios by changing the time and intensity of the implementation of prevention and control measures.Results The proportion of asymptomatic cases among COVID-19 infected individuals was 42% and infectivity of asymptomatic cases was 10% of that symptomatic ones. The basic reproductive number\({R}_{0}\)=2.73, and \({R}_{t}\) dropped below 1 on 1 February under a series of measures. If measures were taken five days earlier, the number of cases would be reduced by 2/3, and after 5 days the number would more than triple.Conclusions In Henan Province, the COVID-19 epidemic spread rapidly in the early stage, and there were a large number of asymptomatic infected individuals with relatively low infectivity. However, the epidemic was quickly brought under control with national measures, and the earlier measures were implemented, the better.

Vicarious traumatization in the general public, members, and non-members of medical teams aiding in COVID-19 control (preprint)

Since December 2019, more than 79,000 people have been diagnosed with infection of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). A large number of medical staff were dispersed for Wuhan city and Hubei province to aid COVID-19 control. Psychological stress, especially vicarious traumatization (VT) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, should not be ignored. To address this concern, the study employed a total of 214 general public (GP) and 526 nurses to evaluate VT scores via a mobile app-based questionnaire. Results showed that the VT scores slightly increased across periods of aiding COVID-19 control, although no statistical difference was noted (P = 0.083). However, the study found lower scores for VT in nurses [median = 69; interquartile range (IQR) = 56-85] than those of the GP (median = 75.5; IQR = 62-88.3) (P = 0.017). In addition, the VT scores for front-line nurses (FLNs; median = 64; IQR = 52-75), including scores for physiological and psychological responses, were significantly lower than those of non-front-line nurses (nFLNs; median = 75.5; IQR = 63-92) (P < 0.001). Interestingly, the VT scores of the GP were significantly higher than those of the FLNs (P < 0.001). However, no statistical difference was observed compared with those of nFLNs (P > 0.05). Importantly, nFLNs are more likely to suffer from VT, which might be related to two factors, namely, gender [odds ratio (OR) = 3.1717; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.247-18.808; P = 0.002] and fertility [OR = 2.072; 95%CI = 0.626-24.533; P = 0.039]. Therefore, increased attention should be paid to the psychological problems of the medical staff, especially nFLNs, and GP under the situation of the spread and control of COVID-19. Early strategies that aim to prevent and treat VT in medical staff and GP are extremely necessary.