Development of a universal real-time RT-PCR assay for detection of pan-SARS-coronaviruses with an RNA-based internal control.

The current pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exemplifies the critical need for rapid diagnostic assays to prompt intensified virological monitoring both in human and wild animal populations. To date, there are no clinical validated assays for pan-SARS-coronavirus (pan-SARS-CoV) detection. Here, we suggest an innovative primer design strategy for the diagnosis of pan-SARS-CoVs targeting the envelope (E) gene using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, we developed a new primer-probe set targeting human ß2-microglobulin (B2M) as an RNA-based internal control for process efficacy. The universal RT-qPCR assay demonstrated no false-positive amplifications with other human coronaviruses or 20 common respiratory viruses, and its limit of detection (LOD) was 159.16 copies/ml at 95% detection probability. In clinical validation, the assay delivered 100% sensitive results in the detection of SARS-CoV-2-positive oropharyngeal samples (n = 120), including three variants of concern (Wuhan, Delta, and Omicron). Taken together, this universal RT-qPCR assay provides a highly sensitive, robust, and rapid detection of SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and animal-derived SARS-related CoVs.

A Wireless Virtual Reality-Based Multimedia-Assisted Teaching System Framework under Mobile Edge Computing

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has gradually entered the daily education and teaching activities from pure scientific research. In the area of assistance teaching, some typical computer softwares still play some important roles. This makes remote teaching activities can just learn voice, yet cannot possess the feeling of realistic existence. Especially in scenario of COVID-19, remote teaching activities with proper perceptibility are in urgent demand. To deal with the current challenge, this paper proposes a wireless VR-based multimedia-assisted teaching system framework under mobile edge computing networks. In this framework, cooperative edge caching and adaptive streaming based on viewport prediction are adopted to jointly improve the quality of experience (QoE) of VR users. First, we investigated the resource management problem of caching and adaptive streaming in this framework. Considering the complexity of the formulated problem, a distributed learning scheme is proposed to solve the problem. The experimental data are verified and the experimental results prove that the studied methods improve the performance of user QoE. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Circuits, Systems & Computers is the property of World Scientific Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The effectiveness of an internet-based support program on maternal self-efficacy, postpartum depression and social support for primiparous women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial.

Background: Many primiparous women usually encounter various parenting and mental health issues after childbirth. The effects of intervention based on internet platform on parenting and mental health outcomes for Chinese first-time mothers remain unknown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, our research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an internet-based support program (ISP) on maternal self-efficacy (MSE), postpartum depression (PPD) and social support for primiparous women amid the pandemic. Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. From May 2020 to March 2021, 242 primiparous women were recruited in the maternity wards of two hospitals in Shenzhen City, China and randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group. Women in control group (n = 118) received the routine postpartum care, and women in intervention group (n = 118) accessed to the ISP intervention (expert education and peer support) and routine postpartum care. Intervention outcomes were measured at baseline before randomization (T0), post-intervention (T1), and three-month follow up (T2) through questionnaires. The chi-square (χ2), the independent sample t-test and the repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance were performed, and the two-tailed p-value <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: In comparison with women in the control group, women in the intervention group had a significantly higher score of MSE at T1 (mean: 73.53, standard deviation [SD]: 6.21) and at T2 (mean: 72.90, SD: 6.73); and a lower score of PPD at T1(mean: 6.03, SD: 2.50) and T2 (mean: 5.70, SD: 2.23); and a higher score of social support at T1 (mean: 45.70, SD: 3.73), but no significant difference at T2 (mean: 42.90, SD: 3.29). Conclusions: The effect of ISP was evaluated to significantly increase the levels of MSE, social support, and to alleviate PPD symptoms for Chinese first-time mothers. As an effective and easily accessible intervention, ISP could become a significant source for health professionals to support primiparous women on parenting and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registration: The trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000033154).

A Person-Environment Fit Model to Explain Information and Communication Technologies-Enabled After-Hours Work-Related Interruptions in China.

Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and information and communication technologies (ICT), after-hours work-related interruptions (AHWI) occur anywhere and anytime in China. In the current study, an alternative person-environment (P-E) fit model of ICT-enabled AHWI, hereafter referred to as IAWI, that treats polychronic variables as moderated solutions are presented. A cross-sectional survey among 277 Chinese employees (average age: 32.04 years) was conducted in September 2022 and tested by PLS-structural equation modeling to validate our hypotheses. The results indicated that IAWI had a positive influence on employees' innovative job performance and in-role job performance (ß = 0.139, p < 0.05; ß = 0.200, p < 0.01; ß = 0.298, p < 0.001). Moreover, among employees with higher levels of polychronicity, the heightened effects of IAWI on innovative job performance were increased (ß = 0.112, p < 0.05). This study offers implications for employees: under IAWI situations, they could search for a person-environment (P-E) that is fit to buffer the negative aspects of IAWI, consequently increasing their innovative job performance and in-role job performance. Future research could extend beyond this framework to explore employees' IAWI and job performance balance.

A Wireless Virtual Reality-Based Multimedia-Assisted Teaching System Framework under Mobile Edge Computing

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has gradually entered the daily education and teaching activities from pure scientific research. In the area of assistance teaching, some typical computer softwares still play some important roles. This makes remote teaching activities can just learn voice, yet cannot possess the feeling of realistic existence. Especially in scenario of COVID-19, remote teaching activities with proper perceptibility are in urgent demand. To deal with the current challenge, this paper proposes a wireless VR-based multimedia-assisted teaching system framework under mobile edge computing networks. In this framework, cooperative edge caching and adaptive streaming based on viewport prediction are adopted to jointly improve the quality of experience (QoE) of VR users. First, we investigated the resource management problem of caching and adaptive streaming in this framework. Considering the complexity of the formulated problem, a distributed learning scheme is proposed to solve the problem. The experimental data are verified and the experimental results prove that the studied methods improve the performance of user QoE. [ FROM AUTHOR]

What determines the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises supply chain financing? A qualitative comparative analysis of fuzzy sets based on the technology–organization–environment framework

With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) survival space has been increasingly constrained, and their financing challenges and costly concerns have also become more evident. With the emergence of the supply chain financing model, the problem of difficult financing for SMEs has been effectively alleviated. How to effectively improve the performance of supply chain financing for SMEs is a hot issue of common concern for both business and academic circles. This paper used 90 SMEs involved in supply chain financing business for a case study based on the “Technology–Organization–Environment” (TOE) framework, using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and explored the linkage effects of technology, organization, and environmental conditions on SMEs’ performance in improving supply chain financing and their path choices. The study found that: (1) individual conditions do not constitute a necessary condition for high/low supply chain financing performance. However, technical level preconditions play a more important role in shaping the high supply chain financing performance of firms. (2) The three preconditions at the technological, organizational, and environmental levels work together to form a diverse set of conditions that drive the high supply chain financing performance of firms. That is, the paths driving the high supply chain financing performance of SMEs are characterized by “different routes to the same destination.” There are three different models: “technology-supply chain capability-driven,” “IT-supply chain capability-driven,” and “IS-supply chain capability-driven.” (3) The degree of application of corporate information technology, information sharing capability, and supply chain capability, and the lack of environmental competitiveness are the reasons for the generation of the low supply chain financing performance of SMEs. The above research findings can provide a direct theoretical basis for enterprise supply chain financing practice and are of great practical significance in guiding Chinese SMEs on how to improve their supply chain financing performance.

A bibliometric analysis of COVID-19 and physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Due to the huge impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on a global scale, the level of physical activity during confinement has become a widespread concern. This study summarizes the development of performance and research trends in COVID-19 and physical activity over the last 3 years. METHODS: Research publications on COVID-19 and physical activity in the past 3 years were downloaded from the Web of Science database. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to analyze the authors, published outputs, journals, cited authors, countries and institutions, co-cited journals, cited references, and keywords. Statistical and centrality analyses were used to identify the active authors, core journals, basic references, hot topics, and cutting-edge fields. RESULTS: A total of 1331 papers was retrieved. SMITH L was a prolific author in the field of exercise intervention in COVID-19 with 11 publications. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health was the most productive journal (179 publications) and the most cited journal (1324). The most productive countries and institutions in this field were the USA (322 publications) and Harvard Medical School (21 publications). The four hot keywords in COVID-19 and physical activity research were physical activity, exercise, health, and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides researchers with directions to intervene in changing levels of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and valuable information for researchers in the field of sports medicine to identify potential collaborators, collaborating institutions, hot issues, and research frontiers.

Expectation and Complaint: Online Consumer Complaint Behavior in COVID-19 Isolation

Purpose This study aims to articulate the nature of consumer complaining behavior (CCB) by analyzing the mechanism and characteristics of online CCB in COVID-19 isolated environment. Patients and Methods For the purpose, this study collected data via a web-based questionnaire survey from 408 consumers in Shanghai, China during COVID-19 isolation. Through building and analyzing a structural equation model that consists of six latent variables such as perceived service quality, perceived product quality, customer satisfaction, negative emotion, customer complaint;the study analyzed the basic characteristics of CCB, and focused on the moderation test of consumer expectation to validate its important role in consumer decision-making behavior. Results First, compared to perceived service quality, perceived product quality has a stronger influence on customer satisfaction and has a weaker influence on negative emotions in the COVID-19 isolated environment. Second, the total influence of perceived product quality on customer complaints is stronger than that of perceived service quality. Third, the direct impact of negative emotions on customer complaints was much stronger than the effect of customer satisfaction on customer complaints. Meanwhile, it can also act as a mediating variable to make customer satisfaction have an additional indirect effect on complaints. Finally, the study also found that consumer expectation can reinforce the influences of customer satisfaction on negative emotions and customer complaints, while it weakens the effect of negative emotions on customer complaints. Conclusion This study suggests that the classic CCB factors still exert a stable influence on customer complaints through cognitive and emotional response pathways, but the influence difference is obvious in the COVID-19 isolated environment. And the influence processes are significantly moderated by consumer expectation level. Enterprises should conduct more targeted marketing interactions, according to these CCB characteristics.

Differential expression analysis of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs expression profiles and construction of ceRNA networks in PEDV infection.

BACKGROUND: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that seriously affects the swine industry. MicroRNAs and long noncoding RNAs are two relevant non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) class and play crucial roles in a variety of physiological processes. Increased evidence indicates a complex interaction between mRNA and ncRNA. However, our understanding of the function of ncRNA involved in host-PEDV interaction is limited. RESULTS: A total of 1,197 mRNA transcripts, 539 lncRNA transcripts, and 208 miRNA transcripts were differentially regulated at 24 h and 48 h post-infection. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that DE mRNAs and DE lncRNAs were mainly involved in biosynthesis, innate immunity, and lipid metabolism. Moreover, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA-pathway network using bioinformatics, including 12 DE mRNAs, 120 DE miRNAs, and 11 pathways. Finally, the target genes of DE miRNAs were screened by bioinformatics, and we constructed immune-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks. Then, the selected DE genes were validated by qRT-PCR, which were consistent with the results from RNA-Seq data. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the comprehensive analysis of the expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs during PEDV infection. We characterize the ceRNA networks which can provide new insights into the pathogenesis of PEDV.

Polyvinylidene fluoride multi-scale nanofibrous membrane modified using N-halamine with high filtration efficiency and durable antibacterial properties for air filtration.

HYPOTHESIS: Particulate matter (PM) pollution and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have increased demand for protective masks. However, typical protective masks only intercept particles and produce peculiar odors if worn for extended periods owing to bacterial growth. Therefore, new protective materials with good filtration and antibacterial capabilities are required. EXPERIMENTS: In this study, we prepared multi-scale polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibrous membranes for efficient filtration and durable antibacterial properties via N-halamine modification. FINDINGS: The N-halamine-modified nanofibrous membrane (PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl) had sufficient active chlorine content (800 ppm), and the tensile stress and strain were improved compared with the original membrane, from 6.282 to 9.435 MPa and from 51.3 % to 56.4 %, respectively. To further improve the interception efficiency, ultrafine nanofibers (20-35 nm) were spun on PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl nanofibrous membranes, and multi-scale PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl nanofibrous membranes were prepared. These membranes exhibited good PM0.3 interception (99.93 %), low air resistance (79 Pa), promising long-term PM2.5 purification ability, and high bactericidal efficiency (>98 %). After ten chlorination cycles, the antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus exceeded 90 %; hence, the material demonstrated highly efficient filtration and repeatable antibacterial properties. The results of this study have implications for the development of air and water filtration systems and multi-functional protective materials.

Waste flow of wet wipes and decision-making mechanism for consumers’ discarding behaviors

Wet wipes have been widely used in consumers' daily lives, especially confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic. Most wet wipes contain plastic components, which cause salient plastic consumption and environmental pollution after their usage. In the current study, the discarding stage of wet wipes in China is investigated systematically. The waste flow of wet wipes are described in detail for the first time, based on the results of domestic waste composition field survey and 2461 consumer questionnaires. The decision-making mechanism for consumers’ wet wipes discarding behavior has been established, and the impacts of various factors have been quantified and analyzed by using structural equation modeling. Results show that waste wet wipes account for 0.2% of all domestic waste in China. Consumer behavior, which is determined by 12 influencing factors, will affect the flow of waste wet wipes substantially. All factors are divided into three categories, including “consumption habit”, “cost” and “incentive”. Among all factors, “time cost” is the most crucial one which indicates matching the convenient solid waste treatment infrastructure is an effective way to ameliorate environmental leakage. Popularizing the knowledge that wet wipes contain plastic through various ways such as printing the composition on packaging bags is a feasible approach. In order to mitigate the environmental impacts, a systematic solution integrating production, consumption and disposal processes of wet wipes is necessary.

Trust-Based Research: Influencing Factors of Patients' Medical Choice Behavior in the Online Medical Community.

The medical service is a special credit commodity, and trust plays a very important role in patients' online medical choice behavior. By collecting information about the doctors on China's leading online medical platform (Platform A), a regression analysis model was constructed, based on the credibility theory model, which has the following three dimensions: ability trust, benevolence trust, and integrity trust. The results showed that the medical title of the doctors, their department's reputation, the number of gifts given to them, and the number of patients who registered with them after diagnosis, among other factors, had a significant, positive impact on the behavior of choosing doctors. Among these considerations, the number of patients registered after diagnosis had the greatest impact on the behavior of choosing doctors. This factor is the result of each doctor's personal brand management, which reflects their comprehensive ability, reputation and integrity. Compared with previous studies, this paper creatively analyzed the important influence of departmental reputation and the number of patients registered after diagnosis on medical choice behavior and puts forward that a doctor can use the number of patients registered after diagnosis to manage their personal brand. Based on the results of this study, we will also put forward suggestions from the perspectives of patients, doctors and the online medical community.

Structural Basis of the Main Proteases of Coronavirus Bound to Drug Candidate PF-07321332.

The high mutation rate of COVID-19 and the prevalence of multiple variants strongly support the need for pharmacological options to complement vaccine strategies. One region that appears highly conserved among different genera of coronaviruses is the substrate-binding site of the main protease (Mpro or 3CLpro), making it an attractive target for the development of broad-spectrum drugs for multiple coronaviruses. PF-07321332, developed by Pfizer, is the first orally administered inhibitor targeting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, which also has shown potency against other coronaviruses. Here, we report three crystal structures of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV bound to the inhibitor PF-07321332. The structures reveal a ligand-binding site that is conserved among SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, providing insights into the mechanism of inhibition of viral replication. The long and narrow cavity in the cleft between domains I and II of the main protease harbors multiple inhibitor-binding sites, where PF-07321332 occupies subsites S1, S2, and S4 and appears more restricted than other inhibitors. A detailed analysis of these structures illuminated key structural determinants essential for inhibition and elucidated the binding mode of action of the main proteases from different coronaviruses. Given the importance of the main protease for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, insights derived from this study should accelerate the design of safer and more effective antivirals. IMPORTANCE The current pandemic of multiple variants has created an urgent need for effective inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 to complement vaccine strategies. PF-07321332, developed by Pfizer, is the first orally administered coronavirus-specific main protease inhibitor approved by the FDA. We solved the crystal structures of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV that bound to the PF-07321332, suggesting PF-07321332 is a broad-spectrum inhibitor for coronaviruses. Structures of the main protease inhibitor complexes present an opportunity to discover safer and more effective inhibitors for COVID-19.

Structure-Based Discovery and Structural Basis of a Novel Broad-Spectrum Natural Product against the Main Protease of Coronavirus.

Over the past 20 years, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 emerged, causing severe human respiratory diseases throughout the globe. Developing broad-spectrum drugs would be invaluable in responding to new, emerging coronaviruses and to address unmet urgent clinical needs. Main protease (Mpro; also known as 3CLpro) has a major role in the coronavirus life cycle and is one of the most important targets for anti-coronavirus agents. We show that a natural product, noncovalent inhibitor, shikonin, is a pan-main protease inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, human coronavirus (HCoV)-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-229E with micromolar half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. Structures of the main protease of different coronavirus genus, SARS-CoV from the betacoronavirus genus and HCoV-NL63 from the alphacoronavirus genus, were determined by X-ray crystallography and revealed that the inhibitor interacts with key active site residues in a unique mode. The structure of the main protease inhibitor complex presents an opportunity to discover a novel series of broad-spectrum inhibitors. These data provide substantial evidence that shikonin and its derivatives may be effective against most coronaviruses as well as emerging coronaviruses of the future. Given the importance of the main protease for coronavirus therapeutic indication, insights from these studies should accelerate the development and design of safer and more effective antiviral agents. IMPORTANCE The current pandemic has created an urgent need for broad-spectrum inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. The main protease is relatively conservative compared to the spike protein and, thus, is one of the most promising targets in developing anti-coronavirus agents. We solved the crystal structures of the main protease of SARS-CoV and HCoV-NL63 that bound to shikonin. The structures provide important insights, have broad implications for understanding the structural basis underlying enzyme activity, and can facilitate rational design of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus ligands as new therapeutic agents.

Social Media Exposure, Psychological Distress, Emotion Regulation, and Depression During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Community Samples in China.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global emergency, affecting millions of individuals both physically and psychologically. The present research investigated the associations between social media exposure and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak by examining the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of emotion regulation among members of the general public in China. Participants (N = 485) completed a set of questionnaires online, including demographic information, self-rated physical health, and social media exposure to topics related to COVID-19. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) were utilized to measure psychological distress about COVID-19, depression, and emotion regulation strategies, respectively. Results found that older age and greater levels of social media exposure were associated with more psychological distress about the virus (r = 0.14, p = 0.003; r = 0.22, p < 0.001). Results of the moderated mediation model suggest that psychological distress mediated the relationship between social media exposure and depression (ß = 0.10; Boot 95% CI = 0.07, 0.15). Furthermore, expressive suppression moderated the relationship between psychological distress and depression (ß = 0.10, p = 0.017). The findings are discussed in terms of the need for mental health assistance for individuals at high risk of depression, including the elderly and individuals who reported greater psychological distress and those who showed preference usage of suppression, during the COVID-19 crisis.

Tannin Supplementation Improves Oocyte Cytoplasmic Maturation and Subsequent Embryo Development in Pigs.

To investigate the effects of tannins (TA) on porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM), different concentrations of TA (0, 1, 10 and 100 µg/mL) were supplemented with a maturation medium and the COCs and subsequent embryonic development were examined. The results showed that 10 µg/mL TA significantly improved the cumulus expansion index (CEI), cumulus-expansion-related genes (PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3, TNFAIP6 and HAS2) expression and blastocyst formation rates after parthenogenetic activation (PA), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) compared to the control groups, but not oocyte nuclear maturation. Nevertheless, 10 µg/mL TA dramatically enhanced the mRNA expression of oocyte-development-related genes (BMP15, GDF9, CDC2 and CYCLIN B1), GSH, ATP, SOD1, PGC1α, BMP15, GDF9 and CDC2 levels and reduced intracellular ROS level in porcine oocytes. These results indicated that porcine oocyte cytoplasmic maturation was improved by 10 µg/mL TA treatment during IVM. In contrast, a high concentration of TA (100 µg/mL) significantly decreased the CEI and PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3 and HAS2 mRNA expressions in cumulus cells, and reduced oocyte nuclear maturation and the total cell numbers/blastocyst. In general, these data showed that 10 µg/mL TA supplementation has beneficial effects on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation and subsequent embryonic development in pigs.

Crystal structures of human coronavirus NL63 main protease at different pH values.

Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), which belongs to the genus Alphacoronavirus, mainly infects children and the immunocompromized and is responsible for a series of clinical manifestations, including cough, fever, rhinorrhoea, bronchiolitis and croup. HCoV-NL63, which was first isolated from a seven-month-old child in 2004, has led to infections worldwide and accounts for 10% of all respiratory illnesses caused by etiological agents. However, effective antivirals against HCoV-NL63 infection are currently unavailable. The HCoV-NL63 main protease (Mpro), also called 3C-like protease (3CLpro), plays a vital role in mediating viral replication and transcription by catalyzing the cleavage of replicase polyproteins (pp1a and pp1ab) into functional subunits. Moreover, Mpro is highly conserved among all coronaviruses, thus making it a prominent drug target for antiviral therapy. Here, four crystal structures of HCoV-NL63 Mpro in the apo form at different pH values are reported at resolutions of up to 1.78 Å. Comparison with Mpro from other human betacoronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV reveals common and distinct structural features in different genera and extends knowledge of the diversity, function and evolution of coronaviruses.

Bilateral uveitis after inoculation with COVID-19 vaccine: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious and pathogenic respiratory disease. To date, there is no effective treatment, and there is an urgent need to develop vaccines against the virus. Five coronavirus COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for inoculation in China, with good safety and few adverse reactions. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman complained of bilateral blurred vision and visual distortion 5 days after vaccination with the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. Physical and auxiliary examination showed that she developed bilateral posterior uveitis. The patient was administered local and systemic steroids, and the symptoms were appreciably improved 5 weeks later. CONCLUSIONS: A case of bilateral uveitis after COVID-19 vaccination was reported and indicated that uveitis after vaccination appears transient and responds well to steroids.

Biodegradable and high-performance multiscale structured nanofiber membrane as mask filter media via poly(lactic acid) electrospinning.

The usage of single-use face masks (SFMs) has increased since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. However, non-degradability and mismanagement of SFMs have raised serious environmental concerns. Moreover, both melt-blown and nanofiber-based mask filters inevitably suffer from poor filtration performance, like a continuous decrease in the removal efficiency for particulate matter (PM) and weak breathability. Herein, we report a new method to create biodegradable and reusable fibrous mask filters. The filter consists of a true nanoscale bio-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fiber (an average size of 37 ± 4 nm) that is fabricated via electrospinning of an extremely dilute solution. Furthermore, we designed a multiscale structure with integrated features, such as low basis weight (0.91 g m-2), small pore size (0.73 µm), and high porosity (91.72%), formed by electrospinning deposition of true nanoscale fibers on large pore of 3D scaffold nanofiber membranes. The resultant mask filter exhibited a high filtration efficiency (PM0.3-99.996%) and low pressure drop (104 Pa) superior to the commercial N95 filter. Importantly, this filter has a durable filtering efficiency for PM and natural biodegradability based on PLA. Therefore, this study offers an innovative strategy for the preparation of PLA nanofibers and provides a new design for high-performance nanofiber filters.

Sleep quality and associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic among community non-medical anti-epidemic Workers of Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, community non-medical anti-epidemic workers have played an important role in the prevention of COVID-19 in China. The present study aimed to assess sleep quality and its associated factors among community non-medical anti-epidemic workers. METHOD: A survey was conducted using anonymous online questionnaire to collect information from 16 March 2020 to 24 March 2020. A total of 474 participants were included, with a 94.23% completion rate. The questionnaire contained demographic data, physical symptoms, and contact history with COVID-19. The researchers assessed perceived social support by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), assessed perceived stress by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and measured sleep quality by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the participants, 46.20% reported poor sleep quality. A binary logistic regression revealed that having educational background of junior college or above, being a member of the police force, having contacted individuals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, having chronic disease(s), having illness within 2 weeks, and having high or moderate perceived stress were significant factors associated with an increased risk of poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Demographic factors, physical symptoms, history of contact with COVID-19, and perceived stress are significantly associated with poor sleep quality of community non-medical anti-epidemic workers. Thus, targeting these factors might be helpful in enhancing sleep quality of community workers.