A comprehensive analysis of systematically screened laboratory tests: based on a COVID-19 cohort.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed at screening indicators with differential diagnosis values and investigating the characteristics of laboratory tests in COVID-19 patients. METHODOLOGY: All the laboratory tests from COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients in this cohort were included. Test values from the groups during the course, days 1-7, and days 8-14 were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test, univariate logistic regression analysis, and multivariate regression analysis were performed. Regression models were established to verify the diagnostic performance of indicators. RESULTS: 302 laboratory tests were included in this cohort, and 115 indicators were analyzed; the values of 61 indicators had significant differences (p < 0.05) between groups, and 23 indicators were independent risk factors of COVID-19. During days 1-7, the values of 40 indicators had significant differences (p < 0.05) between groups, while 20 indicators were independent risk factors of COVID-19. During days 8-14, the values of 45 indicators had significant differences (p < 0.05) between groups, and 23 indicators were independent risk factors of COVID-19. About 10, 12, and 12 indicators showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in multivariate regression analysis in different courses respectively, and the diagnostic performance of the model from them was 74.9%, 80.3%, and 80.8% separately. CONCLUSIONS: The indicators obtained through systematic screening have preferable differential diagnosis values. Compared with non-COVID-19 patients, the screened indicators indicated that COVID-19 patients had more severe inflammatory responses, organ damage, electrolyte and metabolism disturbance, and coagulation disorders. This screening approach could find valuable indicators from a large number of laboratory test indicators.

Ultrasmall and highly biocompatible carbon dots derived from natural plant with amelioration against acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) refers to a tricky clinical disease, known by its high morbidity and mortality, with no real specific medicine for AKI. The carbonization product from Pollen Typhae (i.e., Pu-huang in China) has been extensively employed in clinic, and it is capable of relieving the renal damage and other diseases in China since acient times. RESULTS: Inspired by the carbonization process of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a novel species of carbon dots derived from Pollen Typhae (PT-CDs) was separated and then collected using a one-pot pyrolysis method. The as-prepared PT-CDs (4.85 ± 2.06 nm) with negative charge and abundant oxygenated groups exhibited high solubility, and they were stable in water. Moreover, the rhabdomyolysis (RM)-induced AKI rat model was used, and it was first demonstrated that PT-CDs had significant activity in improving the level of BUN and CRE, urine volume and kidney index, and histopathological morphology in RM-induced AKI rats. It is noteworthy that interventions of PT-CDs significantly reduced degree of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress, which may be correlated with the basial potential mechanism of anti-AKI activities. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assay and biosafety evaluation exhibited high biocompatibility of PT-CDs. CONCLUSION: This study offers a novel relieving strategy for AKI based on PT-CDs and suggests its potential to be a related candidate for clinical applications.

Discussion on the advantages of acupuncture and moxibustion in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

COVID-19 belongs to the plague category of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been confirmed in many ancient books and modern clinical studies that the acupuncture and moxibustion can cure the plague. Containing COVID-19, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Jointly issued the Diagnosis and Treatment of Corona Virus Disease-19(7th edition). It mentions the treatment program of acupuncture and moxibustion participating in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Liu Baoyan's team analyzed the ideas of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for COVID-19. However, the clinical advantages of acupuncture and moxibustion still need to be further clarified. In the treatment of many clinical symptoms of COVID-19, acupuncture therapy has a good clinical effect, so the purpose of our discussion on the advantages is to improve the clinical accuracy and efficacy of COVID-19.

Computational assessment of herbal medicine-derived compounds as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

Since the main protease (Mpro) is crucial for the COVID-19 virus replication and transcription, searching for Mpro inhibitors is one possible treatment option. In our study, 258 small molecules were collected from lung-related herbal medicines, and their structures were optimized with the B3LYP-D3/6-31G* method. After the molecular docking with Mpro, we selected the top 20 compounds for the further geometry optimization with the larger basis sets. After the further molecular docking, the top eight compounds were screened out. Then we performed molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations to determine stability of the complexes. Our results show that mulberrofuran G, Xambioona, and kuwanon D can bind Mpro well. In quantum chemistry studies, such as ESP and CDFT analyses, the compounds properties are predicted. Additionally, the drug-likeness analyses and ADME studies on these three candidate compounds verified that all of them conform to Libinski's rule and may be drug-like compounds.

An imported human case with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant BA.2.75 in Yunnan province, China.

The Omicron variants spread rapidly worldwide after being initially detected in South Africa in November 2021. It showed increased transmissibility and immune evasion with far more amino acid mutations in the Spike (S) protein than the previously circulating variant of concern (VOC). Notably, on 15 July 2022, we monitored the first VOC/Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 in China from an imported case. Moreover, nowadays, this subvariant still is predominant in India. It has nine additional mutations in the S protein compared to BA.2, three of which (W152R, G446S, and R493Q reversion) might contribute to higher transmissibility and immune escape. This subvariant could cause wider spread and pose a threat to the global situation. Our timely reporting and continuous genomic analysis are essential to fully elucidate the characteristics of the subvariant BA.2.75 in the future.

Review of action mechanisms of acupuncture on post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a kind of mental disorder caused by severe traumatic events. It has a high incidence, a serious of impacts on the physical and mental health of patients. Especially in the current situation of COVID-19, the researches on PTSD are particularly important, but the choice of drugs available for PTSD is limited and it is often accompanied by adverse reactions. In the field of acupuncture, there are many clinical research evidences suggested that PTSD is a predominant disease of acupuncture. However, its action mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, so the possible mechanisms of acupuncture in treating PTSD were discussed.

Worldwide Research Trends on Artemisinin: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2000 to 2021.

Objective: Artemisinin is an organic compound that comes from Artemisia annua. Artemisinin treatment is the most important and effective method for treating malaria. Bibliometric analysis was carried out to identify the global research trends, hot spots, scientific frontiers, and output characteristics of artemisinin from 2000 to 2021. Methods: Publications and their recorded information from 2000 to 2021 were retrieved through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Using VOSviewer and Citespace, the hotspots and trends of studies on artemisinin were visualized. Results: A total of 8,466 publications were retrieved, and for the past 22 years, the annual number of publications associated with artemisinin kept increasing. The United States published most papers. The H-index and number of citations of the United States ranked first. The University of Oxford and MALARIA JOURNAL were the most productive affiliation and journal, respectively. A paper written by E.A. Ashley in 2011 achieved the highest global citation score. Keywords, such as "malaria," "artesunate," "plasmodium-falciparum," "in-vitro," "artemisinin resistance," "plasmodium falciparum," "resistance," and "artemether-lumefantrine," appeared most frequently. The research on artemisinin includes clinical research and animal and cell experiments. Conclusion: The biosynthesis, drug resistance mechanism, and combination of artemisinin have become more popular than before. Studies on artemisinin treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been carried out, and good research results have been obtained.

Exploration of plant-derived natural polyphenols toward COVID-19 main protease inhibitors: DFT, molecular docking approach, and molecular dynamics simulations† † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/d1ra07364h

Recent outbreaks of coronavirus have brought serious challenges to public health around the world, and it is essential to find effective treatments. In this study, the 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has been considered as an important drug target because of its role in viral replication. We initially optimized 251 compounds at the PM7 level of theory for docking with 3CLpro, and then we selected the top 12 compounds for further optimization with the B3LYP-D3/6-311G** method and obtained the top four compounds by further molecular docking. Quantum chemistry calculations were performed to predict molecular properties, such as the electrostatic potential and some CDFT descriptors. We also performed molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to determine the relative stability of the selected four potential compounds. We have identified key residues controlling the 3CLpro/ligand binding from per-residue based decomposition of the binding free energy. Convincingly, the comprehensive results support the conclusion that the compounds have the potential to become a candidate for anti-coronavirus treatment. The combination of molecular dynamics simulations and quantitative calculations as a powerful tool for screening molecules.

A quantitative exploration of symptoms in COVID-19 patients: an observational cohort study.

Background: As the spreading of the COVID-19 around the global, we investigated the characteristics and changes of symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was an ambispective observational cohort study, and 133 confirmed COVID-19 patients were included and all symptoms over the course were analyzed qualitatively. The symptoms, their changes over the course in the cohort and in the different clinical types, etc. were illustrated. Differences in different periods and severities were analyzed through Chi square test, association with severity was analyzed through LASSO binomial logistic regression analysis. Inter-correlation and classification of symptoms were completed. Major symptoms were screened and their changes were illustrated. Results: A total of 43 symptoms with frequencies as 6067 in this cohort. Differences of symptoms in different stages and clinical types were significant. Expectoration, shortness of breath, dyspnea, diarrhea, poor appetite were positively but vomiting, waist discomfort, pharyngeal discomfort, acid reflux were negatively correlated with the combined-severe and critical type; dyspnea was correlated with the critical type. The 17 major symptoms were identified. The average daily frequency of symptoms per case was decreased continuously before the transition into the severe type and increased immediately one day before the transition and then decreased. It was decreased continuously before the transition date of the critical type and increased from the transition into the critical type to the next day and decreased thereafter. Dyspnea (P<0.001), shortness of breath (P<0.01) and chest distress (P<0.05) were correlated with death and their corresponding coefficient was 0.393, 0.258, 0.214, respectively. Conclusion: The symptoms of COVID-19 patients mainly related to upper respiratory tract infection, cardiopulmonary function, and digestive system. The mild type and the early stage in other types mainly related to upper respiratory tract infection. The cardiopulmonary function and digestive system associated symptoms were found in all other types and stages. Dyspnea was correlated with critical type, and dyspnea, shortness of breath and chest distress were correlated with death. Respiratory dysfunction (or incompleteness) associated symptoms were the characteristic symptoms. The changes of symptoms did not synchronously with the changes of severity before the transition into the severe or critical type.

COVID-19 patient with an incubation period of 27 d: A case report.

BACKGROUND: As a highly contagious disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is wreaking havoc around the world due to continuous spread among close contacts mainly via droplets, aerosols, contaminated hands or surfaces. Therefore, centralized isolation of close contacts and suspected patients is an important measure to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. At present, the quarantine duration in most countries is 14 d due to the fact that the incubation period of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is usually identified as 1-14 d with median estimate of 4-7.5 d. Since COVID-19 patients in the incubation period are also contagious, cases with an incubation period of more than 14 d need to be evaluated. CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old male patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine of The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University on April 5 due to a cough with sputum and shortness of breath. On April 10, the patient was transferred to the Fever Clinic for further treatment due to close contact to one confirmed COVID-19 patient in the same room. During the period from April 10 to May 6, nucleic acid and antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were tested 7 and 4 times, respectively, all of which were negative. On May 7, the patient developed fever with a maximum temperature of 39℃, and his respiratory difficulties had deteriorated. The results of nucleic acid and antibody detection of SARS-CoV-2 were positive. On May 8, the nucleic acid and antibody detection of SARS-CoV-2 by Heilongjiang Provincial Center for Disease Control were also positive, and the patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 and reported to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of the SARS-CoV-2 incubation period. Further epidemiological investigations and clinical observations are urgently needed to identify the optimal incubation period of SARS-CoV-2 and formulate rational and evidence-based quarantine policies for COVID-19 accordingly.

Ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in untreated saliva using SERS-based biosensor.

Early diagnosis and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 virus is essential to control COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we propose a promising surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based COVID-19 biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in untreated saliva. The SERS-immune substrate was fabricated by a novel oil/water/oil (O/W/O) three-phase liquid-liquid interfaces self-assembly method, forming two layers of dense and uniform gold nanoparticle films to ensure the reproducibility and sensitivity of SERS immunoassay. The detection was performed by an immunoreaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody modified SERS-immune substrate, spike antigen protein and Raman reporter-labeled immuno-Ag nanoparticles. This SERS-based biosensor was able to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein at concentrations of 0.77 fg mL-1 in phosphate-buffered saline and 6.07 fg mL-1 in untreated saliva. The designed SERS-based biosensor exhibited excellent specificity and sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 virus without any sample pretreatment, providing a potential choice for the early diagnosis of COVID-19.

Undocumented Migrants Reintroducing COVID-19, Yunnan Province, China.

To limit the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the government of China has been monitoring infected travelers and minimizing cold-chain contamination. However, other factors might contribute to recurring outbreaks. We analyze the role of undocumented migrants as potential transmitters of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in China.

Integrated characterization of SARS-CoV-2 genome, microbiome, antibiotic resistance and host response from single throat swabs.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, poses a severe threat to humanity. Rapid and comprehensive analysis of both pathogen and host sequencing data is critical to track infection and inform therapies. In this study, we performed unbiased metatranscriptomic analysis of clinical samples from COVID-19 patients using a recently developed RNA-seq library construction method (TRACE-seq), which utilizes tagmentation activity of Tn5 on RNA/DNA hybrids. This approach avoids the laborious and time-consuming steps in traditional RNA-seq procedure, and hence is fast, sensitive, and convenient. We demonstrated that TRACE-seq allowed integrated characterization of full genome information of SARS-CoV-2, putative pathogens causing coinfection, antibiotic resistance, and host response from single throat swabs. We believe that the integrated information will deepen our understanding of pathogenesis and improve diagnostic accuracy for infectious diseases.

Features of α-HBDH in COVID-19 patients: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has spread all over the world and brought extremely huge losses. At present, there is a lack of study to systematically analyze the features of hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (α-HBDH) in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Electronic medical records including demographics, clinical manifestation, α-HBDH results and outcomes of all included patients were extracted. RESULTS: α-HBDH in COVID-19 group was higher than that in excluded group (p < 0.001), and there was no significant difference in α-HBDH before and after the exclusion of 5 patients with comorbidity in heart or kidney (p = 0.671). In COVID-19 group, the α-HBDH value in ≥61 years old group, severe group, and critical group, death group all increased at first and then decreased, while no obvious changes were observed in other groups. And there were significant differences of the α-HBDH value among different age groups (p < 0.001), clinical type groups (p < 0.001), and outcome groups (p < 0.001). The optimal scale regression model showed that α-HBDH value (p < 0.001) and age (p < 0.001) were related to clinical type. CONCLUSIONS: α-HBDH was increased in COVID-19 patients, obviously in ≥61 years old, death and critical group, indicating that patients in these three groups suffer from more serious heart and kidney and other tissues and organs damage, higher α-HBDH value, and risk of death. The difference between death and survival group in early stage might provide a approach to judge the prognosis. The accuracy of the model to distinguish severe/critical type and other types was 85.84%, suggesting that α-HBDH could judge the clinical type accurately.