Understanding the role of social media usage and health self-efficacy in the processing of COVID-19 rumors: A SOR perspective.

Apart from the direct health and behavioral influence of the COVID-19 pandemic itself, COVID-19 rumors as an infodemic enormously amplified public anxiety and cause serious outcomes. Although factors influencing such rumors propagation have been widely studied by previous studies, the role of spatial factors (e.g., proximity to the pandemic) on individuals' response regarding COVID-19 rumors remain largely unexplored. Accordingly, this study, drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, examined how proximity to the pandemic (stimulus) influences anxiety (organism), which in turn determines rumor beliefs and rumor outcomes (response). Further, the contingent role of social media usage and health self-efficacy were tested. The research model was tested using 1246 samples via an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results indicate that: (1)The proximity closer the public is to the pandemic, the higher their perceived anxiety; (2) Anxiety increases rumor beliefs, which is further positively associated rumor outcomes; (3) When the level of social media usage is high, the relationship between proximity to the pandemic and anxiety is strengthened; (4) When the level of health self-efficacy is high, the effect of anxiety on rumor beliefs is strengthened and the effect of rumor beliefs on rumor outcomes is also strengthened. This study provides a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of the propagation of COVID-19 rumors from a SOR perspective. Additionally, this paper is one of the first that proposes and empirically verifies the contingent role of social media usage and health self-efficacy on the SOR framework. The findings of study can assist the pandemic prevention department in to efficiently manage rumors with the aim of alleviating public anxiety and avoiding negative outcomes cause by rumors.

Network pharmacological mechanism of Runfei Ningshen Decoction in the treatment of insomnia caused by COVID-19

Objective: To study the mechanism of Runfei Ningshen Decoction in the treatment of insomnia caused by corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19) by using network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis. Methods: The chemical components and targets of Chinese medicinal materials of Runfei Ningshen Decoction in TCMSP, Batman, and CTD databases were searched. The relevant targets of novel coronavirus pneumonia and insomnia in Disgenet, GeneCards, CTD, and Malacards databases were searched. The component-target-disease network was established by using Cytoscape 3.2.1 software;The protein-protein intereation(PPI) network was constructed in string database. The common targets were enriched by using Cluster Profiler software package in R language software platform. The molecular docking of core targets related to insomnia caused by COVID-19 was carried out by using Discovery Studio 4.0 software. Results: 349 medicinal ingredients in Runfei Ningshen Decoction, 1 904 targets, 1 505 new coronavirus pneumonia-related targets, and 1 337 insomnia-related targets were collected. When the intersection of Venn diagrams were used, 404 common targets were obtained for the 2 diseases. 250 targets were intersected with the 2 diseases, and 33 core targets were screened out by the analysis of the interaction network between targets. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that Runfei Ningshen Decoction mainly acts on AKT1, INS, TP53, IL-6, key targets such as AKT1, INS, TP53, IL-6, JUN, CASP3, TNF, CAT, PTGS2 and CXCL8, which are involved in the important pathway processes such as human cytomegalovirus infection, fluid shear stress, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways in complications of atherosclerosis and diabetes. The results of molecular docking showed that the core target has a high affinity with beta-sitosterol, 1-methoxy phaseolin, 3'-hydroxy-4'-O-methylglycyrrhizin, and anhydroicariin. The prescription treatment of insomnia caused by COVID-19 may be through the targets such as PTGS2, AR, PPARG, NOS2, HSP90 AA1 and so on. Conclusion: Runfei Ningshen Decoction can treat insomnia caused by COVID-19 by inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-a.

Study on the effect of Xuanfei Jiere Granules in the treatment of COVID-19 by network pharmacology and molecular docking

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of Xuanfei Jiere Granules in the treatment of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) complicated with fever. Methods: The effective components of Xuanfei Jiere Granules were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the potential target genes were predicted. The disease targets of COVID-19 complicated with fever were searched by GeneCards and CTD databases, and the common targets were obtained, and then introduced into Cytoscape to construct the "component-target-disease" network. The above 2 common targets were input into the online database of STRING protein interaction, and the results were imported into Cytoscape software to obtain Protein-Protein Interaction(PPI) network;R language was used to analyze the common targets with Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis. Results: 84 active components and 82 targets were obtained. The pathway enrichment analysis showed that Xuanfei Jiere Granules mainly acted on protein kinase B(AKT1), tumor protein P53(TP53), interleukin-6(IL6) and other key targets in the treatment of COVID-19 complicated with fever. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the action was mainly related to the influence of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, human cytomegalovirus infection, and AGE-RAGE in diabetic complications and other signal pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that the core target had strong affinity with beta-sitosterol, formononetin, N-trans ferulyl tyramine and so on. Conclusion: This study preliminarily verified that Xuanfei Jiere Granules can play a role in the treatment of COVID-19 complicated with fever through multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways.

Fighting rumors to fight COVID-19: Investigating rumor belief and sharing on social media during the pandemic.

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a significant health threat, influenced information-related behaviors and induced increased rumor-sharing behaviors on social media. Fighting COVID-19 thus entails the need to fight the rumors as well, providing a strong motivation to explore rumor-related behavior during this extraordinary period. From the perspective of information acquisition, we predicted that information acquisition from social and traditional media would interactively influence rumor-related decisions (i.e., rumor belief and sharing) and that critical thinking would shape this relationship. Through a survey of 2424 individuals who used social media during the pandemic, we found that information acquisition from social media was negatively related to rumor sharing and that rumor belief mediated this relationship. Meanwhile, information acquisition from traditional media weakened the negative effect of information acquisition from social media on rumor belief, and critical thinking alleviated the positive effect of rumor belief on rumor sharing. This study contributes to the literature by explaining the diffusion of COVID-19 rumors on social media from an information perspective and revealing how different information sources and thinking styles come into conflict in rumor decisions.

Systematic analysis and comparison of O-glycosylation of five recombinant spike proteins in ß-coronaviruses.

ß-coronaviruses (ß-CoVs), representative with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), depend on their highly glycosylated spike proteins to mediate cell entry and membrane fusion. Compared with the extensively identified N-glycosylation, less is known about O-glycosylation of ß-CoVs S proteins, let alone its biological functions. Herein we comprehensively characterized O-glycosylation of five recombinant ß-CoVs S1 subunits and revealed the macro- and micro-heterogeneity nature of site-specific O-glycosylation. We also uncovered the O-glycosylation differences between SARS-CoV-2 and its natural D614G mutant on functional domains. This work describes the systematic O-glycosylation analysis of ß-CoVs S1 proteins and will help to guide the related vaccines and antiviral drugs development.

Engineered disulfide reveals structural dynamics of locked SARS-CoV-2 spike.

The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been observed in three distinct pre-fusion conformations: locked, closed and open. Of these, the function of the locked conformation remains poorly understood. Here we engineered a SARS-CoV-2 S protein construct "S-R/x3" to arrest SARS-CoV-2 spikes in the locked conformation by a disulfide bond. Using this construct we determined high-resolution structures confirming that the x3 disulfide bond has the ability to stabilize the otherwise transient locked conformations. Structural analyses reveal that wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike can adopt two distinct locked-1 and locked-2 conformations. For the D614G spike, based on which all variants of concern were evolved, only the locked-2 conformation was observed. Analysis of the structures suggests that rigidified domain D in the locked conformations interacts with the hinge to domain C and thereby restrains RBD movement. Structural change in domain D correlates with spike conformational change. We propose that the locked-1 and locked-2 conformations of S are present in the acidic high-lipid cellular compartments during virus assembly and egress. In this model, release of the virion into the neutral pH extracellular space would favour transition to the closed or open conformations. The dynamics of this transition can be altered by mutations that modulate domain D structure, as is the case for the D614G mutation, leading to changes in viral fitness. The S-R/x3 construct provides a tool for the further structural and functional characterization of the locked conformations of S, as well as how sequence changes might alter S assembly and regulation of receptor binding domain dynamics.

Severe Cholestatic Hepatitis Secondary to SARS-CoV-2.

Liver injury is a common manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with most injuries manifesting as transient mild hepatocellular injury. Cholestatic injury occurs less commonly and is typically mild. Severe cholestatic injury is rare, with only 4 cases reported in the literature. We present a 70-year-old woman with no known liver disease who presented with severe COVID-19 and developed severe cholestatic hepatitis. A liver biopsy was performed demonstrating bile duct injury, uncommonly reported in patients with COVID-19. This complication needs greater awareness because it has been known to cause progressive liver disease requiring transplantation.

Consideration about cluster epidemic of 37 COVID-19 cases

Objective: To summarize the cluster epidemic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) in Jinan City in order to provide reference for further preventive measures.

Integrative Multi-omics Landscape of Non-structural Protein 3 of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is currently a global pandemic. Extensive investigations have been performed to study the clinical and cellular effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics studies have revealed the cellular changes due to the infection and identified a plethora of interactors for all SARS-CoV-2 components, except for the longest non-structural protein 3 (NSP3). Here, we expressed the full-length NSP3 proteins of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to investigate their unique and shared functions using multi-omics methods. We conducted interactome, phosphoproteome, ubiquitylome, transcriptome, and proteome analyses of NSP3-expressing cells. We found that NSP3 plays essential roles in cellular functions such as RNA metabolism and immune response (e.g., NF-κB signal transduction). Interestingly, we showed that SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 has both endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial localizations. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 is more closely related to mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, whereas SARS-CoV NSP3 is related to the cytosolic ribosomal proteins. In summary, our integrative multi-omics study of NSP3 improves the understanding of the functions of NSP3 and offers potential targets for the development of anti-SARS strategies.

Islet organoid as a promising model for diabetes.

Studies on diabetes have long been hampered by a lack of authentic disease models that, ideally, should be unlimited and able to recapitulate the abnormalities involved in the development, structure, and function of human pancreatic islets under pathological conditions. Stem cell-based islet organoids faithfully recapitulate islet development in vitro and provide large amounts of three-dimensional functional islet biomimetic materials with a morphological structure and cellular composition similar to those of native islets. Thus, islet organoids hold great promise for modeling islet development and function, deciphering the mechanisms underlying the onset of diabetes, providing an in vitro human organ model for infection of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, and contributing to drug screening and autologous islet transplantation. However, the currently established islet organoids are generally immature compared with native islets, and further efforts should be made to improve the heterogeneity and functionality of islet organoids, making it an authentic and informative disease model for diabetes. Here, we review the advances and challenges in the generation of islet organoids, focusing on human pluripotent stem cell-derived islet organoids, and the potential applications of islet organoids as disease models and regenerative therapies for diabetes.

Comprehensive O-Glycosylation Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Biomimetic Trp-Arg Materials.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious public health threat. Most vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 target the highly glycosylated spike protein (S). A good knowledge of the glycosylation profile of this protein is key to successful vaccine development. Unlike the 22 confirmed N-glycosylation sites on SARS-CoV-2 S, only a few O-glycosylation sites on this protein have been reported. This difference is mainly ascribed to the extremely low stoichiometry of O-glycosylation. Herein, we designed the biomimetic materials, Trp-Arg (WR) monomer-grafted silica microspheres (designated as WR-SiO2), and these biomimetic materials can enrich N- and O-linked glycopeptides with high selectivity. And WR-SiO2 can resist the nonglycopeptides' interference with the 100 molar fold of BSA during O-linked glycopeptide enrichment. We utilized WR-SiO2 to comprehensively analyze the O-glycosylation profile of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S. Twenty-seven O-glycosylation sites including 18 unambiguous sites are identified on SARS-CoV-2 S. Our study demonstrates that the biomimetic polymer can offer specific selectivity for O-linked glycopeptides and pave the way for O-glycosylation research in biological fields. The O-glycosylation profile of SARS-CoV-2 S might supplement the comprehensive glycosylation in addition to N-glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 S.

The utility of MEWS for predicting the mortality in the elderly adults with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study with comparison to other predictive clinical scores.

BACKGROUND: Older adults have been reported to be a population with high-risk of death in the COVID-19 outbreak. Rapid detection of high-risk patients is crucial to reduce mortality in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognositc accuracy of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) for in-hospital mortality in older adults with COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Wuhan Hankou Hospital in China from 1 January 2020 to 29 February 2020. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of MEWS, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Function Assessment (SOFA), quick Sequential Organ Function Assessment (qSOFA), Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), Combination of Confusion, Urea, Respiratory Rate, Blood Pressure, and Age ≥65 (CURB-65), and the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Criteria (SIRS) for in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression models were performed to detect the high-risk older adults with COVID-19. RESULTS: Among the 235 patients included in this study, 37 (15.74%) died and 131 (55.74%) were male, with an average age of 70.61 years (SD 8.02). ROC analysis suggested that the capacity of MEWS in predicting in-hospital mortality was as good as the APACHE II, SOFA, PSI and qSOFA (Difference in AUROC: MEWS vs. APACHE II, -0.025 (95% CI [-0.075 to 0.026]); MEWS vs. SOFA, -0.013 (95% CI [-0.049 to 0.024]); MEWS vs. PSI, -0.015 (95% CI [-0.065 to 0.035]); MEWS vs. qSOFA, 0.024 (95% CI [-0.029 to 0.076]), all P > 0.05), but was significantly higher than SIRS and CURB-65 (Difference in AUROC: MEWS vs. SIRS, 0.218 (95% CI [0.156-0.279]); MEWS vs. CURB-65, 0.064 (95% CI [0.002-0.125]), all P < 0.05). Logistic regression models implied that the male patients (≥75 years) had higher risk of death than the other older adults (estimated coefficients: 1.16, P = 0.044). Our analysis further suggests that the cut-off points of the MEWS score for the male patients (≥75 years) subpopulation and the other elderly patients should be 2.5 and 3.5, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MEWS is an efficient tool for rapid assessment of elderly COVID-19 patients. MEWS has promising performance in predicting in-hospital mortality and identifying the high-risk group in elderly patients with COVID-19.