US-China Rivalry and Its Implications for the Post-PandemicWorld

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the tension and underscores the importance of cooperation between the United States and China on shared interests even as they compete ferociously on almost all fronts. While a duopoly with China and the United States working in tandem is unlikely because of their increasingly competitive relationship, a large-scale conflict shall be extremely costly as neither is strong enough to prevail. Under above background, this paper describes the grim nature of the current Sino-US relations and the expected trend of Sino-US rivalry in the post-pandemic era. We expect that both United States and China can mutually prevent deeper and larger conflicts from happening, as well as maintain rational economic and political interactions under an integrated and effective global governance mechanism. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Crisis Responses and the Changing World: Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences

This book comprehensively analyzes COVID-19 and its impact as well as the response from the perspectives of humanities and social sciences. This book covers topics ranging from geopolitical relations to regional integration, public health governance and even the evolution of professional practices in the time of COVID-19. It constitutes a precious and timely interdisciplinary reference for anyone aspiring not only to grasp the origins and dynamics of the present challenge, but also to identify future opportunities for further growth and holistic progress for humanity. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

Synthesis and SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease Inhibitory Effects of Oxazolidinone Derivatives

The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is an attractive target for the development of antiSARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) drugs. In this work, a series of oxazolidinone derivatives 3a-3v were synthesized and their inhibitory activities against SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 3CLpro were evaluated by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based enzymatic assay. Among synthesized compounds, 3g displayed the best inhibitory activity, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 14.47 mu M. Also, docking studies implied that compound 3g was fitted into the active pocket of 3CLpro, forming a hydrogen bond with Glu166.