Residents' participation in rural tourism and interpersonal trust in tourists: The mediating role of residents' perceptions of tourism impacts

Interpersonal trust is a critical psychological factor that reveals the quality of resident-tourist relationship in tourism destinations. However, residents' positive attitudes toward tourists are gradually taken for granted, with research on residents' psychological tendency (i.e., interpersonal trust) in providing tourism services and creating mutually beneficial resident-tourist interaction lagging behind. Based on interpersonal relationship theory and social exchange theory, this study employed a sequential mixed-methods design to examine the formation of interpersonal trust in tourists during resident participation in rural tourism. The dimensions of resident participation (i.e., decision-making, economic, and social participation) and the conceptual model were first identified through qualitative analysis. Subsequently, through the PLS-based structural equation modeling using a sample of 469 residents from Jiuzhai Valley, China, the study suggested that economic and social participation were instrumental in shaping residents' cognitive and affective trust in tourists both directly and indirectly through residents' perceived benefits of tourism. This study offers implications for academia and destination management to promote sustainable tourism development and social harmony against the crisis of trust between residents and tourists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rapid Point-of-Care Assay by SERS Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Its Variants.

Addressing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has highlighted the need for rapid, accurate, and low-cost diagnostic methods that detect specific antigens for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Tests for COVID-19 are based on reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), which requires laboratory services and is time-consuming. Here, by targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we present a point-of-care SERS detection platform that specifically detects SARS-CoV-2 antigen in one step by captureing substrates and detection probes based on aptamer-specific recognition. Using the pseudovirus, without any pretreatment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants were detected by a handheld Raman spectrometer within 5 min. The limit of detection (LoD) for the pseudovirus was 124 TU µL-1 (18 fM spike protein), with a linear range of 250-10,000 TU µL-1. Moreover, this assay can specifically recognize the SARS-CoV-2 antigen without cross reacting with specific antigens of other coronaviruses or influenza A. Therefore, the platform has great potential for application in rapid point-of-care diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2.

Perceived barriers and negotiation of using peer-to-peer accommodation by Chinese consumers in the COVID-19 context

Purpose This study aims to understand Chinese consumers' perceived barriers to using peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the negotiation strategies they applied in overcoming the barriers and enabling consumption. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design with 28 semi-structured interviews was used. Data were analysed by content analysis. Findings Five psychological barriers and four functional barriers were found to inhibit consumers from using P2P accommodation both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. In overcoming the perceived barriers, consumers applied both behavioural negotiation strategies, including seeking information, behavioural adaptation, selective choice and seeking social support, and cognitive negotiation strategies, including cognitive adaptation and trusting agents. COVID-19 was found to serve as both a barrier and a facilitator for using P2P accommodation. A barriers-negotiation framework was developed in the context. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, this study advances consumer resistance and perceived barriers literature by integrating negotiation and developing a barriers-negotiation framework of P2P accommodation usage. This study also offers insights for practitioners in the P2P accommodation industry. Originality/value This study showcases the role of negotiation in understanding barriers to using P2P accommodation, paving the way to extend relevant knowledge to advance consumer resistance research, which is an emerging topic in the broader management domain.

Does Economic Globalization Shape the International Tourism Structure? A Cross-National Panel Data Estimation

Economic globalization, the primary mechanism of globalization, has driven the flourishing of international tourism. However, little research has empirically revealed how it affects international tourism from a structural perspective. Based on network theory, this study applies network analysis and fixed-effects panel data estimation techniques to examine the impact of economic globalization on the structure of international tourism and the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance as an inertia factor in this relationship. The statistics are derived from panel data for 47 countries from 1995 to 2018. The empirical results indicate that there is a positive relationship between economic globalization and countries' network prominence in both outbound and inbound tourism, and the effects vary under different degrees of uncertainty avoidance. This study offers insights and practical implications for policymakers, tourism marketers, and transnational tourism corporations to formulate tourism recovery strategies against the de-globalization caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

APOE interacts with ACE2 inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry and inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) plays a pivotal role in lipid including cholesterol metabolism. The APOE ε4 (APOE4) allele is a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases. Although APOE has recently been associated with increased susceptibility to infections of several viruses, whether and how APOE and its isoforms affect SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unclear. Here, we show that serum concentrations of APOE correlate inversely with levels of cytokine/chemokine in 73 COVID-19 patients. Utilizing multiple protein interaction assays, we demonstrate that APOE3 and APOE4 interact with the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2; and APOE/ACE2 interactions require zinc metallopeptidase domain of ACE2, a key docking site for SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. In addition, immuno-imaging assays using confocal, super-resolution, and transmission electron microscopies reveal that both APOE3 and APOE4 reduce ACE2/Spike-mediated viral entry into cells. Interestingly, while having a comparable binding affinity to ACE2, APOE4 inhibits viral entry to a lesser extent compared to APOE3, which is likely due to APOE4's more compact structure and smaller spatial obstacle to compete against Spike binding to ACE2. Furthermore, APOE ε4 carriers clinically correlate with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection and elevated serum inflammatory factors in 142 COVID-19 patients assessed. Our study suggests a regulatory mechanism underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection through APOE interactions with ACE2, which may explain in part increased COVID-19 infection and disease severity in APOE ε4 carriers.

Cell-based reporter assays for measurements of antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity and phagocytosis against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections has led to excess deaths worldwide. Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against viral spike protein acquired from natural infections or vaccinations contribute to protection against new- and re-infections. Besides neutralization, antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and phagocytosis (ADCP) are also important for viral clearance. However, due to the lack of convenient methods, the ADCC and ADCP responses elicited by viral infections or vaccinations remain to be explored. Here, we developed cell-based assays using target cells stably expressing SARS-CoV-2 spikes and Jurkat-NFAT-CD16a/CD32a effector cells for ADCC/ADCP measurements of monoclonal antibodies and human convalescent COVID-19 plasmas (HCPs). In control samples (n = 190), the specificity was 99.5% (95%CI: 98.4-100%) and 97.4% (95%CI: 95.1-99.6%) for the ADCC and ADCP assays, respectively. Among 87 COVID-19 HCPs, 83 (sensitivity: 95.4%, 95%CI: 91.0-99.8%) and 81 (sensitivity: 93.1%, 95%CI: 87.8-98.4%) showed detectable ADCC (titer range: 7.4-1721.6) and ADCP activities (titer range: 4-523.2). Notably, both ADCC and ADCP antibody titers positively correlated with the nAb titers in HCPs. In summary, we developed new tools for quantitative ADCC and ADCP analysis against SARS-CoV-2, which may facilitate further evaluations of Fc-mediated effector functions in preventing and treating against SARS-CoV-2.

Identification of serum metabolites enhancing inflammatory responses in COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is characterized by a strong production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF and IL-6, which underlie the severity of the disease. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for such a strong immune response remains unclear. Here, utilizing targeted tandem mass spectrometry to analyze serum metabolome and lipidome in COVID-19 patients at different temporal stages, we identified that 611 metabolites (of 1,039) were significantly altered in COVID-19 patients. Among them, two metabolites, agmatine and putrescine, were prominently elevated in the serum of patients; and 2-quinolinecarboxylate was changed in a biphasic manner, elevated during early COVID-19 infection but levelled off. When tested in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and macrophages, these 3 metabolites were found to activate the NF-κB pathway that plays a pivotal role in governing cytokine production. Importantly, these metabolites were each able to cause strong increase of TNF and IL-6 levels when administered to wildtype mice, but not in the mice lacking NF-κB. Intriguingly, these metabolites have little effects on the activation of interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) for the production of type I interferons (IFNs) for antiviral defenses. These data suggest that circulating metabolites resulting from COVID-19 infection may act as effectors to elicit the peculiar systemic inflammatory responses, exhibiting severely strong proinflammatory cytokine production with limited induction of the interferons. Our study may provide a rationale for development of drugs to alleviate inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

Negotiating interdisciplinary practice under the COVID-19 crisis: opportunities and challenges for tourism research

Purpose>COVID-19 is currently the most serious crisis facing the world, and scholars in the medical and social sciences are working to save lives and mitigate the societal effects of the pandemic. This global public health emergency requires interdisciplinary work to provide comprehensive insight into a rapidly changing situation. However, attempts to integrate the medical and social sciences have met several barriers. This paper aims to identify feasible research opportunities for interdisciplinary studies across tourism and public health regarding COVID-19.Design/methodology/approach>This paper presents a critical review of the literature and generates corresponding conceptual and theoretical frameworks to provide an in-depth discussion.Findings>Tourism-related issues of destination management policies and capital are addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The conclusions encourage interdisciplinary research into global health problems, which will promote tourism’s renaissance and sustainable development while enhancing social welfare.Practical implications>This study focuses on integrating tourism and public health to offer stakeholders recommendations regarding destination management and tourism industry recovery amid COVID-19.Originality/value>This paper represents a frontier study, critically uncovering a host of innovative interdisciplinary research directions and tourism-focused collaboration opportunities related to COVID-19.

COVID-19: management focus of reopened tourist destinations. (Special Issue: COVID-19 and tourism.)

Reopen major tourist destinations is one of the significant recovery initiatives for the tourism industry after the outbreak of crises. However, few studies have focused on management measures during the reopening of tourist destinations. In this regard, this study adopts the co-word analysis to map the topics of 273 notices of the reopened national 5A scenic areas in China. The key themes are identified including (i) prevention measures, (ii) business scope, (iii) rules for tourists and (iv) preferential measures. Moreover, the management focus varies between natural and cultural destinations. This study provides suggestions for research on epidemic-induced crisis management in tourism.

A content analysis of Chinese news coverage on COVID-19 and tourism. (Special Issue: COVID-19 and tourism.)

News coverage plays a significant role in the tourism industry. 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has severely affected the tourism-related businesses and has been featured in Chinese news coverage. This research studied 499 newspaper articles through automated content analysis. Nine key themes were identified, including COVID-19's impact on tourism, people's sentiment, control of tourism activities and cultural venues, the role of the hospitality industry, national command and local response, tourism disputes and solutions, corporate self-improvement strategies, government assistance, and post-crisis tourism product. This research provides insights into future investigations of the tourism crisis related to an epidemic.

Inbound tourism – a bibliometric review of SSCI articles (1993–2021)

PurposeThis study aims to present a holistic synopsis of the current scientific structure of inbound tourism research and suggest further research directions.Design/methodology/approachA 30-year bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database through CiteSpace, covering 568 Social Sciences Citation Index articles.FindingsThis study systematically identifies the evolution of scientific structures and emerging research trends in the inbound tourism field. The findings show that: co-authorship patterns reveal a trend of international cooperation;the evolution of research themes is consistent with the development of the macro-environment and inbound tourism industry, the most recent focus being on sustainable development of destinations;varied multivariate data analysis methods dominate current empirical analysis;there exist three major research dimensions in the inbound tourism field;and unilateral political factors in destinations and bilateral linkage factors affecting inbound tourism demand have aroused research interest increasingly.Practical implicationsThis study helps scholars and practitioners understand the current issues and needs of the inbound tourism industry and develops a future research agenda to promote the industry’s continuous development.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to provide insights into the theoretical development of inbound tourism over the past three decades from the perspective of a knowledge-based platform and further facilitate sustainable development of the industry.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese nationals' tourism preferences.

This paper examines the impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese nationals' tourism preferences. Employing a mixed-method research design, two rounds of nation-wide online surveys were conducted, one in February 2020 when COVID-19 cases started to peak in China and another one in June 2020 when COVID-19 was a global pandemic; both survey studies were accompanied with semi-structured in-depth interviews and altogether 37 interviews were conducted in two stages. Based on both quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data, the research identified that: 1) COVID-19 significantly reduced Chinese nationals' preferences to travel to countries with high infection numbers, and geographically faraway, administratively and culturally distant outbound destinations; 2) Chinese nationals reduced their preferences in all travel modes and most of the tourism forms, but most of them would prefer nature-based, rural, and cultural destinations after COVID-19; and 3) shortened trips in short travel distance are preferred after COVID-19. The findings offer rich insights and practical implications for governments, industry organisations, and tourism operators to formulate tourism recovery strategies toward Chinese tourists.

Antibody Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Patients With Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a newly emerging virus. The antibody response in infected patients remains largely unknown, and the clinical value of antibody testing has not been fully demonstrated. METHODS: 173 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled. Their serial plasma samples (n = 535) collected during hospitalization were tested for total antibodies (Ab), IgM, and IgG against SARS-CoV-2. The dynamics of antibodies with disease progress were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 173 patients, the seroconversion rates for Ab, IgM, and IgG were 93.1%, 82.7%, and 64.7%, respectively. The reason for the negative antibody findings in 12 patients might be due to the lack of blood samples at the later stage of illness. The median seroconversion times for Ab, IgM, and then IgG were days 11, 12, and 4, respectively. The presence of antibodies was <40% among patients within 1 week of onset, and rapidly increased to 100.0% (Ab), 94.3% (IgM), and 79.8% (IgG) by day 15 after onset. In contrast, RNA detectability decreased from 66.7% (58/87) in samples collected before day 7 to 45.5% (25/55) during days 15-39. Combining RNA and antibody detection significantly improved the sensitivity of pathogenic diagnosis for COVID-19 (P < .001), even in the early phase of 1 week from onset (P = .007). Moreover, a higher titer of Ab was independently associated with a worse clinical classification (P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Antibody detection offers vital clinical information during the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings provide strong empirical support for the routine application of serological testing in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients.

Impact of COVID-19 on advanced dental education: Perspectives of dental residents in Wuhan.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the perspectives of dental residents in Wuhan, the former COVID-19 epicenter of China. METHODS: A survey form was sent to 424 residents in the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University (WHUSS) in September 2020. The form included 23 questions on demographics, study situation of residents during the COVID-19 outbreak, effect of COVID-19 on graduates, and status of residents who returned to clinic training. RESULTS: A total of 361 (85%) survey forms were collected. Over 70% of respondents felt anxious during Wuhan lockdown. Most respondents continued studying (94%) mainly through free online resources (79%). The majority reported improvement in didactic knowledge (80%), but the respondents' perceptions of their clinical skills, especially those in Wuhan, did not change (41%) or worsened (40%) (p < 0.05). Most graduates (88%) reported having found jobs or continued study. Among the 209 responders who returned to clinical training, 52% felt no concern about COVID-19 infection, 89% thought they were equipped with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), and 57% indicated that they received sufficient knowledge for preventing COVID-19 in clinic. Most respondents agreed that the way to gain the knowledge for preventing COVID-19 in clinic was training at dental school (93%). CONCLUSION: Although online study has been appreciated by residents, concern about clinical skill learning in the COVID-19 hardest-hit area has arisen. Most graduates felt that the impact of COVID-19 on their immediate postgraduation career was limited. Teaching about infection control in dental schools seemed effective to develop a positive attitude for residents after they returned to clinical training.

Virus-Free and Live-Cell Visualizing SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry for Studies of Neutralizing Antibodies and Compound Inhibitors.

The ongoing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2, which is mediated by the viral spike protein and ACE2 receptor, is an essential target for the development of vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and drugs. Using a mammalian cell expression system, a genetically engineered sensor of fluorescent protein (Gamillus)-fused SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer (STG) to probe the viral entry process is developed. In ACE2-expressing cells, it is found that the STG probe has excellent performance in the live-cell visualization of receptor binding, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking of SARS-CoV-2 under virus-free conditions. The new system allows quantitative analyses of the inhibition potentials and detailed influence of COVID-19-convalescent human plasmas, neutralizing antibodies and compounds, providing a versatile tool for high-throughput screening and phenotypic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors. This approach may also be adapted to develop a viral entry visualization system for other viruses.

Robust neutralization assay based on SARS-CoV-2 S-protein-bearing vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudovirus and ACE2-overexpressing BHK21 cells.

The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disaster for human society. A convenient and reliable neutralization assay is very important for the development of vaccines and novel drugs. In this study, a G protein-deficient vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVdG) bearing a truncated spike protein (S with C-terminal 18 amino acid truncation) was compared to that bearing the full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and showed much higher efficiency. A neutralization assay was established based on VSV-SARS-CoV-2-Sdel18 pseudovirus and hACE2-overexpressing BHK21 cells (BHK21-hACE2 cells). The experimental results can be obtained by automatically counting the number of EGFP-positive cells at 12 h after infection, making the assay convenient and high-throughput. The serum neutralizing titer measured by the VSV-SARS-CoV-2-Sdel18 pseudovirus assay has a good correlation with that measured by the wild type SARS-CoV-2 assay. Seven neutralizing monoclonal antibodies targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein were obtained. This efficient and reliable pseudovirus assay model could facilitate the development of new drugs and vaccines.

Seeing the invisible hand: Underlying effects of COVID-19 on tourists’ behavioral patterns

Given growing attention toward the effects on COVID-19 on tourism, a number of institutions have made macro-level predictions related to the disease. More micro-level research are, however, needed. This study seeks to advance the understanding of tourists' potential behavioral transformation by reviewing psychological distance and construal level theory, as well as the relationship between psychological distance and perceived risk. Multiple dimensions of psychological distance and perceived risk are summarized with respect to COVID-19. The discussion suggests that global health emergencies evoke three types of tourism pattern: from general to elaborate, from open-hearted to closed, and from radical to conservative. These categories provide a conceptual foundation for empirical research considering contextual and individual stimuli. Practically, this paper highlights strategies to reduce individuals’ risk perceptions, encourage specific types of tourism, and regulate unethical consumption. The recommendations also encourage the analysis of crisis recovery and relevant market analysis by tourism professionals and marketers.

Analysis of the Virus Contamination and Disinfection Effect in Isolation Ward of Patients With COVID-19.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has infected a large number of patients, increasing the importance of adequate disinfection of the hospital environment. We conducted this study to explore environmental virus contamination and the effect of terminal disinfection in the isolation ward of patients with COVID-19. A swab kit was used to sample various surfaces in the isolation and observation wards using the smear method. The samples were immediately sent to the PCR department of the laboratory for nucleic acid detection of COVID-19. We analyzed 31 high-frequency contact sites in three isolation wards of actively sick patients, of which seven were positive (22.58%, 7/31). Positive sites included the transfer window, bed rail, buffer room door handle, toilet door handle, and toilet faucet. All 55 samples taken from the wards of cured patients and the wards after terminal disinfection were negative. Virus contamination in areas frequently touched by patients in the isolation ward was high, so the awareness of correct disinfection must be increased. Use of 1,000-2,000 mg/L chlorine-containing disinfectant in the isolation ward was effective.