The clinical case of a combined new coronavirus infection and whooping cough in an unvaccinated child.

Whooping cough remains a life-threatening infection, especially for unvaccinated young children. The article describes a case of severe and non-smooth course of whooping cough in an unvaccinated, girl of 4 months of life from the family hearth of whooping cough and. COVID-19. There were cases of COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in adults in the family, occurring under the mask of a mild respiratory infection, not verified before they were detected, in a child, and. did. not require hospitalization. The combined, course of two infectious diseases COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in a 4-month-old. unvaccinated, girl contributed, to the prolongation of the duration o f whooping cough, prolonged release o f SARS-COV-2 RNA, the late appearance of hematological changes typical o f whooping cough, the development o f respiratory delays and re-hospitalization o f a patient with prolonged respiratory support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of routine vaccination, has significantly decreased, as a result of which, children of the first years of life have become more vulnerable to vaccine-controlled, infections, which, causes the risk of combined, infections.Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

[Therapeutic possibilities of stimulating reparative neurogenesis in patients with glaucoma who have recovered from a coronavirus infection]. / Terapevticheskie vozmozhnosti stimulyatsii reparativnogo neirogeneza u patsientov s glaukomoi, perenesshikh koronavirusnuyu infektsiyu.

In patients with glaucoma, the neuroplasticity of retinal cells, their axons and neuroglial elements is pathogenetically reduced, including due to a decrease in the concentration of neurotrophic factors. Coronavirus infections contribute to the damage processes, causing apoptosis of retinal and optic nerve cells. In this regard, the possibility of pharmacological stimulation of the production of these peptides through energy potentiation of the cell mitochondria function, reduction of oxidative stress severity and activation of interneuronal transduction system becomes relevant. PURPOSE: This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of the severity of oxidative stress, identify changes in the neuroplasticity and reparative ability of the retina in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) who have recovered after a coronavirus infection, and are undergoing therapy with the complex drug Cytoflavin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 40 patients (mean age 57.2±3.6 years) with advanced POAG compensated by hypotensive agents; all of them recovered from moderate Covid-19 30 to 90 days prior to inclusion in the study. Twenty patients of the main group received therapy with the complex drug Cytoflavin, 20 other patients comprised the control group. In the comparison groups, the concentration of BDNF and CNTF in blood serum (SC) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Overall assessment of oxidative stress was done by high performance liquid chromatography. Studies of the functional activity of the retina were performed using the Tomey EP 1000 electroretinograph according to the standard method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Retinal photosensitivity significantly improved in patients of the main group taking the complex drug Cytoflavin (mD mean after treatment increased from -7.34±0.62 dB to -4.52±0.12 dB (p>0.001), PSD mean decreased from 6.23±0.21dB to 4.27±0.13 dB (p>0.001)); the neural activity of the retina improved according to PERG (the amplitudes of the P50 and N95 components increased from 0.92±0.04 µv to 1.65±0.01 µv and from 1.83±0.06 µv to 2.68±0.01 µv, respectively (p>0.001), the latency of the P50 and N95 components decreased from 53.40±2.51 ms to 49.37±2.22 ms and from 112.40±5.23 ms to 107.4±8.11ms, respectively (p>0.001); the concentration of BDNF increased (from 18.65±5.32 ng/ml to 20.23±4.05 ng/ml (p>0.001)) and the concentration of CNTF in the blood serum decreased (from 3.99±0.37 pg/ml to 1.85±0.02pg/ml (p>0.001)), the severity of oxidative stress decreased (the indicator of oxidative stress decreased by 1.4 times after treatment p>0.001) and the content of antioxidant protection indicators increased: the indicator of antioxidant protection of blood serum increased by 1.4 times, the concentration of superoxide dismutase - by 1.9 times (p>0.001), glutathione peroxidase - by 1.4 times (p>0.001), coenzyme Q10 - by 4.5 times (p>0.001). CONCLUSION: The obtained data can be used to determine the risk of progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients with glaucoma who have had a coronavirus infection.

The clinical case of a combined new coronavirus infection and whooping cough in an unvaccinated child.

Whooping cough remains a life-threatening infection, especially for unvaccinated young children. The article describes a case of severe and non-smooth course of whooping cough in an unvaccinated, girl of 4 months of life from the family hearth of whooping cough and. COVID-19. There were cases of COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in adults in the family, occurring under the mask of a mild respiratory infection, not verified before they were detected, in a child, and. did. not require hospitalization. The combined, course of two infectious diseases COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in a 4-month-old. unvaccinated, girl contributed, to the prolongation of the duration o f whooping cough, prolonged release o f SARS-COV-2 RNA, the late appearance of hematological changes typical o f whooping cough, the development o f respiratory delays and re-hospitalization o f a patient with prolonged respiratory support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of routine vaccination, has significantly decreased, as a result of which, children of the first years of life have become more vulnerable to vaccine-controlled, infections, which, causes the risk of combined, infections.Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

The clinical case of a combined new coronavirus infection and whooping cough in an unvaccinated child.

Whooping cough remains a life-threatening infection, especially for unvaccinated young children. The article describes a case of severe and non-smooth course of whooping cough in an unvaccinated, girl of 4 months of life from the family hearth of whooping cough and. COVID-19. There were cases of COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in adults in the family, occurring under the mask of a mild respiratory infection, not verified before they were detected, in a child, and. did. not require hospitalization. The combined, course of two infectious diseases COVID-19 and. whooping cough, in a 4-month-old. unvaccinated, girl contributed, to the prolongation of the duration o f whooping cough, prolonged release o f SARS-COV-2 RNA, the late appearance of hematological changes typical o f whooping cough, the development o f respiratory delays and re-hospitalization o f a patient with prolonged respiratory support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of routine vaccination, has significantly decreased, as a result of which, children of the first years of life have become more vulnerable to vaccine-controlled, infections, which, causes the risk of combined, infections.Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Transformer Models for Activity Mining in Knowledge-Intensive Processes

Mining useful information to analyze knowledge-intensive business processes requires data that describes activities of knowledge workers. Emails are widely used in organizations to provide support in the functioning of knowledge-intensive processes. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has increased reliance on technologies such as email to help facilitate communication within organizations to make up for the lack of face-to-face contact. In this work, we propose an activity mining technique, which receives an incoming email message, classifies the sender's intent and translates it into a set of business process activities. Specifically, we leverage deep learning language models to first classify the email body into a group of intents, which are then mapped to related activities. To our knowledge, we propose the first transfer-learning based solution for mining activity information from emails. The effectiveness of our solution was evaluated on real-world data coming from email exchanges between knowledge workers. Our results based on unsupervised experiments and a field study show that transformer models can be used to semantically label emails and that mapping activities to matched intents is highly accurate. © 2023, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Establishment and application of a triplex RT-PCR method for detection of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA

[Background] Porcine delta coronavirus（PDCoV）, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus（SADS-CoV）, and Seneca virus A（SVA） are new pathogens which seriously endanger the development of pig industry. The clinical symptoms of pigs infected with the three pathogens are difficult to distinguish. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a multiplex RT-PCR detection method for rapid diagnosis of suspected pigs and reduce economic losses. [Objective] To establish a triplex RT-PCR method for simultaneous detection of single or mixed infection of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA. [Methods] Three pairs of specific primers were designed according to the conserved regions of the N genes of PDCoV and SADS-CoV and the L/P1 genes of SVA registered in GenBank, and the optimal annealing temperature（Tm） was determined by temperature gradient PCR method. The primer concentration was optimized by array method. The recombinant plasmids PMD-PDCoV, PMD-SADS-CoV,and PMD-SVA were constructed as standards to determine the limits of detection（LOD）. The specificity of the triplex RT-PCR method was determined with the nucleic acid samples of 6 common pig viruses including porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. The repeatability of the established method was verified by inter-batch and intra-batch tests. Finally, we employed the triplex RT-PCR method to detect the clinical samples suspected of infection and compared the results with those obtained with the reported detection methods, thus evaluating the clinical application performance of the method. [Results] The optimal Tm was 58.3 ℃, and the optimal primer concentrations were 0.5 μmol/L, 0.25 μmol/L, and 0.25 μmol/L,respectively. The established method had high sensitivity, with the LODs of 1 copy/μL, 1 copy/μL, and 10 copies/μL for PMD-PDCoV, PMD-SADS-CoV, and PMD-SVA, respectively. It had strong specificity, with specific bands only for PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA and no bands for other viruses.Moreover, the method had good repeatability as the test results were consistent between and within batches. The positive rates of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA in the clinical samples detected by the established method were 65.85%, 30.49%, and 57.32%, respectively, which were consistent with the results obtained with the reported detection methods. Finally, 5 samples were randomly selected from 13 positive samples of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA for sequencing, and the phylogenetic tree indicated that the PCR amplification sequences of the five positive samples had high homology（above 96%） between each other and also with the reference sequences. [Conclusion] The triplex RT-PCR method established in this study is accurate and reliable for the simultaneous detection of PDCoV,SADS-CoV, and SVA in clinical samples.

Growing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: The interplay among transformational leadership in government, public trust, and posttraumatic growth

Individuals may experience positive changes or gain growths after struggling with traumas or challenging circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess potential levels of posttraumatic growth (PTG) of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic and PTG's associations with perceptions of transformational leadership in local government and public trust. The data of a probability sample of 1011 community-dwelling adults (61.2% females;Mean age = 41.2 years, SD = 15.8) in Macao, China, were collected via a telephone poll survey. Multiple regression analyses were conducted and a bootstrapping approach was utilized to test the hypothesized moderating effects and mediating effects of trust in local government on the association between perceived transformational leadership and PTG, respectively. Results showed that about half of the respondents reported at least a medium level of PTG. Whereas perceived transformational leadership in the Macao local government was positively associated with four individual aspects of PTG (i.e., appreciation of life, new possibilities, personal strength, and relating to others) as well as the overall PTG, while controlling for the demographic variables, trust in the local government showed no moderating or mediating effects in these associations. Our findings suggest the value of governments' transformational leadership in promoting people's PTG in the face of public crises such as COVID-19. More transformational leadership behaviors, such as attending to citizens' personal needs and conveying an inspirational vision, in government are called for to bring about greater positive responses from individuals and ensure social vitality and resilience during this long-term public health battle. © The Author(s) 2023.

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies elicited by mosaic RBD nanoparticles bind conserved sarbecovirus epitopes.

Increased immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern highlights the need for new therapeutic neutralizing antibodies. Immunization with nanoparticles co-displaying spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from eight sarbecoviruses (mosaic-8 RBD-nanoparticles) efficiently elicits cross-reactive polyclonal antibodies against conserved sarbecovirus RBD epitopes. Here, we identified monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) capable of cross-reactive binding and neutralization of animal sarbecoviruses and SARS-CoV-2 variants by screening single mouse B cells secreting IgGs that bind two or more sarbecovirus RBDs. Single-particle cryo-EM structures of antibody-spike complexes, including a Fab-Omicron complex, mapped neutralizing mAbs to conserved class 1/4 RBD epitopes. Structural analyses revealed neutralization mechanisms, potentials for intra-spike trimer cross-linking by IgGs, and induced changes in trimer upon Fab binding. In addition, we identified a mAb-resembling Bebtelovimab, an EUA-approved human class 3 anti-RBD mAb. These results support using mosaic RBD-nanoparticle vaccination to generate and identify therapeutic pan-sarbecovirus and pan-variant mAbs.

Improving the Kiosk User Experience: The Psychological Factors of the Elderly

Background Due to COVID-19, digital alienation in kiosks is intensifying. While many studies are conducted to address this issue, they mainly focus on improving the user interface design, rarely considering psychological aspects of the elderly. We aim to investigate how to help the elderly better accept kiosk technology by understanding their psychological characteristics. Methods We started with an understanding of the kiosk industry and the psychological problems experienced by the elderly. Then, we identified from the literature several factors affecting technology acceptance and integrate them into the user experience (UX) design process. Through observations and interviews with the elderly, psychological problems experienced by the elderly were identified and analyzed. Additional interviews with educators were conducted to further understand the factors and educational methods that affect the elderly’s acceptance of kiosks, which were followed by an on-site observation of kiosk education. Results Most of the elderly remained in the expected and introduction stages due to unfamiliar kiosk culture, social pressure, and low self-efficacy. These barriers can be overcome by providing supporters, motivating the elderly, improving store environment and line-up experience, and accumulating success experiences. We also found that repetitive use should be induced and socially supported so that the elderly can accept, habituate, and integrate technology. Conclusions We propose a new way to improve the kiosk UX that focuses on the technology acceptance psychology of the elderly against previous studies that focus on improving the user interface. We expect that our study results can serve as a basis for future studies on systemic design solutions for improved Kiosk UX. © This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted educational and non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.

HANDHELD AND ULTRAFAST PHOTOTHERMAL QPCR SYSTEM FOR RAPID DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2

Rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) utilizing plasmon-driven photothermal cycling requires real-time quantification of amplicons during PCR and miniaturization of real-time PCR (qPCR) system for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. In this work, we have demonstrated handheld photothermal qPCR system with disposable aluminum PCR chips for the ultrafast amplification and real-time quantification of plasmids expressing SARSCoV-2 envelope protein within 5 min. This novel system provides stable and useful point-of-care diagnostic platform for prevention of fast-spreading pandemic in airport and harbor. © 2021 MicroTAS 2021 - 25th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences. All rights reserved.

Mosaic RBD nanoparticles protect against challenge by diverse sarbecoviruses in animal models

To combat future SARS-CoV-2 variants and spillovers of SARS-like betacoronaviruses (sarbecoviruses) threatening global health, we designed mosaic nanoparticles presenting randomly-arranged sarbecovirus spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) to elicit antibodies against epitopes that are conserved and relatively occluded, rather than variable, immunodominant, and exposed. We compared immune responses elicited by mosaic-8 (SARS-CoV-2 and seven animal sarbecoviruses) and homotypic (only SARS-CoV-2) RBD-nanoparticles in mice and macaques, observing stronger responses elicited by mosaic-8 to mismatched (not on nanoparticles) strains including SARS-CoV and animal sarbecoviruses. Mosaic-8 immunization showed equivalent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicrons and protected from SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV challenges, whereas homotypic SARS-CoV-2 immunization protected only from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Epitope mapping demonstrated increased targeting of conserved epitopes after mosaic-8 immunization. Together, these results suggest mosaic-8 RBD-nanoparticles could protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants and future sarbecovirus spillovers. Description

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies elicited by mosaic RBD nanoparticles bind conserved sarbecovirus epitopes (preprint)

Protection from SARS-related coronaviruses with spillover potential and SARS-CoV-2 variants could prevent and/or end pandemics. We show that mice immunized with nanoparticles co-displaying spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from eight sarbecoviruses (mosaic-8 RBD-nanoparticles) efficiently elicit cross-reactive anti-sarbecovirus antibodies against conserved class 1/4 and class 3 RBD epitopes. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) identified from initial screening of <10,000 single B-cells secreting IgGs binding two or more sarbecovirus RBDs showed cross-reactive binding and neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants and animal sarbecoviruses. Single-particle cryo-EM structures of antibody-spike complexes, including a Fab-Omicron complex, mapped neutralizing mAbs to conserved class 1/4 RBD epitopes and revealed neutralization mechanisms, potentials for intra-spike trimer crosslinking by single IgGs, and induced changes in trimer upon Fab binding. In addition, we identified a mAb resembling Bebtelovimab, an EUA-approved human class 3 anti-RBD mAb. These results support using mosaic RBD-nanoparticles to identify therapeutic pan-sarbecovirus and pan-variant mAbs and to elicit them by vaccination.

Analysis of memory B cells identifies conserved neutralizing epitopes on the N-terminal domain of variant SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins.

SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination produces neutralizing antibody responses that contribute to better clinical outcomes. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike trimer (S) constitute the two major neutralizing targets for antibodies. Here, we use NTD-specific probes to capture anti-NTD memory B cells in a longitudinal cohort of infected individuals, some of whom were vaccinated. We found 6 complementation groups of neutralizing antibodies. 58% targeted epitopes outside the NTD supersite, 58% neutralized either Gamma or Omicron, and 14% were broad neutralizers that also neutralized Omicron. Structural characterization revealed that broadly active antibodies targeted three epitopes outside the NTD supersite including a class that recognized both the NTD and SD2 domain. Rapid recruitment of memory B cells producing these antibodies into the plasma cell compartment upon re-infection likely contributes to the relatively benign course of subsequent infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron.

Mosaic RBD nanoparticles protect against multiple sarbecovirus challenges in animal models (preprint)

To combat future SARS-CoV-2 variants and spillovers of SARS-like betacoronaviruses (sarbecoviruses) threatening global health, we designed mosaic nanoparticles presenting randomly-arranged sarbecovirus spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) to elicit antibodies against conserved/relatively-occluded, rather than variable/immunodominant/exposed, epitopes. We compared immune responses elicited by mosaic-8 (SARS-CoV-2 and seven animal sarbecoviruses) and homotypic (only SARS-CoV-2) RBD-nanoparticles in mice and macaques, observing stronger responses elicited by mosaic-8 to mismatched (not on nanoparticles) strains including SARS-CoV and animal sarbecoviruses. Mosaic-8 immunization showed equivalent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron and protected from SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV challenges, whereas homotypic SARS-CoV-2 immunization protected only from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Epitope mapping demonstrated increased targeting of conserved epitopes after mosaic-8 immunization. Together, these results suggest mosaic-8 RBD-nanoparticles could protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants and future sarbecovirus spillovers.

An analysis of China's strategy in combating the coronavirus pandemic with the 3H framework

Purpose - This paper attempts to theorise about China's strategy in combating the coronavirus pandemic with an embryonic framework - 3H (Heart-Head-Hand) framework. By adopting a descriptive approach, the paper introduces the case of coronavirus outbreak in China and how the public health administration coped with it The 3H framework has been applied to analyse China's strategy, and the framework's assumptions are initially tested. Design/methodology/approach - The pandemic case is created based on credible reports, press releases from different respected sources, World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, interview transcripts and broadcasting stations' video clippings. Interpretive analysis with pragmatism approach has been conducted in analysing the data and information collected. Triangulation, wherever possible, has been done to validate the data and information. Findings - As an exploratory study, its findings show that 3H framework distinguishes the effectiveness of a country's strategy and practice for combating the pandemic. Countries, which failed to observe the assumed principles of 3H domains tend to have much more infected cases and deaths. Originality/value - The 3H framework conceptualised a holistic management approach and its assumptions have been initially tested with this pandemic case. The framework shows its predictability value for a country's pandemic management effectiveness.

How are family doctors serving the Hong Kong community during the COVID-19 outbreak? A survey of HKCFP members.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the preparedness of family doctors during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Hong Kong. METHODS: All members of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians were invited to participate in a cross-sectional online survey using a 20-item questionnaire to collect information on practice preparedness for the COVID-19 outbreak through an email followed by a reminder SMS message between 31 January 2020 and 3 February 2020. RESULTS: Of 1589 family doctors invited, 491 (31%) participated in the survey, including 242 (49%) from private sector. In all, 98% surveyed doctors continued to provide clinical services during the survey period, but reduced clinic service demands were observed in 45% private practices and 24% public clinics. Almost all wore masks during consultation and washed hands between or before patient contact. Significantly more private than public doctors (80% vs 26%, P<0.001) experienced difficulties in stocking personal protective equipment (PPE); more public doctors used guidelines to manage suspected patients. The main concern of the respondents was PPE shortage. Respondents appealed for effective public health interventions including border control, quarantine measures, designated clinic setup, and public education. CONCLUSION: Family doctors from public and private sectors demonstrated preparedness to serve the community from the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak with heightened infection control measures and use of guidelines. However, there is a need for support from local health authorities to secure PPE supply and institute public health interventions.