Efficacy of BNT162b2 and CoronaVac in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

This retrospective observational study is aimed to determine the efficacy of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccines against symptomatic or severe disease in COVID-19-diagnosed patients. The secondary aim was to define the differences between vaccinated and un-vaccinated patients in terms of age, comorbidities and course of the disease, and to determine the survival rates. Of the 1463 PCR-positive patients, 55.3 % were vaccinated, and 44.7 % were unvaccinated. While 959 patients had mild-moderate symptoms, 504 patients had severe-critical symptoms and were treated in the intensive care unit. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of the type and doses of vaccines between the patient groups (p = 0.021). The rate of receiving 2 doses of Biontech was 18.9 % in the mild-moderate patient group but lower in the severe patient group (12.6 %). The rate of two doses of Sinovac and two doses of Biontech vaccine (four doses of vaccine) was 5 % in the mild-moderate patient group and 1.9 % in the severe patient group. The mortality rates were statistically significantly different (p < 0.001) between the patient groups: 65.3 % in the severe patient group and 1 % in the mild-moderate patient group. The multivariate model showed that the mortality risk of the unvaccinated patients was 1.5 times higher than the vaccinated ones (p = 0.042). In addition to being unvaccinated, advanced age, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and obesity were found to be associated with higher mortality risk. Besides, the reduction in mortality rate was more evident in individuals vaccinated with at least 2 doses of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine than in CoronaVac group.

Potential herb‒drug interactions between anti-COVID-19 drugs and traditional Chinese medicine.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread worldwide. Effective treatments against COVID-19 remain urgently in need although vaccination significantly reduces the incidence, hospitalization, and mortality. At present, antiviral drugs including Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (PaxlovidTM), Remdesivir, and Molnupiravir have been authorized to treat COVID-19 and become more globally available. On the other hand, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for the treatment of epidemic diseases for a long history. Currently, various TCM formulae against COVID-19 such as Qingfei Paidu decoction, Xuanfei Baidu granule, Huashi Baidu granule, Jinhua Qinggan granule, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebijing injection have been widely used in clinical practice in China, which may cause potential herb-drug interactions (HDIs) in patients under treatment with antiviral drugs and affect the efficacy and safety of medicines. However, information on potential HDIs between the above anti-COVID-19 drugs and TCM formulae is lacking, and thus this work seeks to summarize and highlight potential HDIs between antiviral drugs and TCM formulae against COVID-19, and especially pharmacokinetic HDIs mediated by metabolizing enzymes and/or transporters. These well-characterized HDIs could provide useful information on clinical concomitant medicine use to maximize clinical outcomes and minimize adverse and toxic effects.

Phytochemical Characterization and Screening of the Anti-Pneumonia (Anti-COVID-19, Anti-Fungal, and Anti-Bacterial) Activities of Cuscuta Campestris Extract

Introduction: Although, several vaccines are being approved, no effective antiviral drug has been developed for COVID-19 infectious. The present investigation was aimed to increase the essential oils of Cuscuta campestris using far-red light treatment and examine the potential of crude extracts of C. campestris against selected pneumonia pathogens and COVID-19.Methods: Anti-COVID-19 activity was determined in human lung cell lines and COVID-19 positive patients.Results: Results demonstrated that the aqueous extract had the highest amount of anti-COVID-19, antibiotic and antioxidant activity. The far-red light treatment increased Scoparone, cineole, Benzofuran, 2, 3- dihydro, Cinnamic acid, and Benzo[h]quinoline, 2, 4-dimethyl, which are mainly effective components against COVID-19 inflammation and pneumonia microbes. CT scan and clinical laboratory tests in a clinical case study, a 30-year-old woman who presented with severe 2019-nCoV, demonstrated that inhalation of 30 mg extract nebulized/day for seven days resulted in significant improvement in consolidation and ground-glass opacity in lungs on the seventh day of treatment.Conclusion: It is hoped that this study leads to the introduction of some compounds that could be used to formulate new and more potent anti-COVID-19 antibiotics, or other drugs of natural origin in medicine.

SARS-CoV-2 spike host cell surface exposure promoted by a COPI sorting inhibitor.

Via an insufficient coat protein complex I (COPI) retrieval signal, the majority of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) is resident in host early secretory organelles and a tiny amount is leaked out in cell surface. Only surface-exposed S can be recognized by B cell receptor (BCR) or anti-S therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that is the trigger step for B cell activation after S mRNA vaccination or infected cell clearance by S mAbs. Now, a drug strategy to promote S host surface exposure is absent. Here, we first combined structural and biochemical analysis to characterize S COPI sorting signals. A potent S COPI sorting inhibitor was then invented, evidently capable of promoting S surface exposure and facilitating infected cell clearance by S antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Importantly, with the inhibitor as a probe, we revealed Omicron BA.1 S is less cell surface exposed than prototypes because of a constellation of S folding mutations, possibly corresponding to its ER chaperone association. Our findings not only suggest COPI is a druggable target against COVID-19, but also highlight SARS-CoV-2 evolution mechanism driven by S folding and trafficking mutations.

Dual computational and biological assessment of some promising nucleoside analogs against the COVID-19-Omicron variant.

Nucleoside analogs/derivatives (NAs/NDs) with potent antiviral activities are now deemed very convenient choices for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) arisen by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. At the same time, the appearance of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the Omicron variant, necessitates multiplied efforts in fighting COVID-19. Counteracting the crucial SARS-CoV-2 enzymes RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease (ExoN) jointly altogether using the same inhibitor is a quite successful new plan to demultiplicate SARS-CoV-2 particles and eliminate COVID-19 whatever the SARS-CoV-2 subtype is (due to the significant conservation nature of RdRps and ExoNs in the different SARS-CoV-2 strains). Successive in silico screening of known NAs finally disclosed six different promising NAs, which are riboprine/forodesine/tecadenoson/nelarabine/vidarabine/maribavir, respectively, that predictably can act through the planned dual-action mode. Further in vitro evaluations affirmed the anti-SARS-CoV-2/anti-COVID-19 potentials of these NAs, with riboprine and forodesine being at the top. The two NAs are able to effectively antagonize the replication of the new virulent SARS-CoV-2 strains with considerably minute in vitro anti-RdRp and anti-SARS-CoV-2 EC50 values of 189 and 408 nM for riboprine and 207 and 657 nM for forodesine, respectively, surpassing both remdesivir and the new anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir. Furthermore, the favorable structural characteristics of the two molecules qualify them for varied types of isosteric and analogistic chemical derivatization. In one word, the present important outcomes of this comprehensive dual study revealed the anticipating repurposing potentials of some known nucleosides, led by the two NAs riboprine and forodesine, to successfully discontinue the coronaviral-2 polymerase/exoribonuclease interactions with RNA nucleotides in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.5 sublineage) and accordingly alleviate COVID-19 infections, motivating us to initiate the two drugs' diverse anti-COVID-19 pharmacological evaluations to add both of them betimes in the COVID-19 therapeutic protocols.

Convex optimization for maximizing the degradation efficiency of chloroquine in a flow-by electrochemical reactor.

The degradation efficiency of chloroquine phosphate (CQ), an anti-COVID-19 drug, was investigated in a flow-by electrochemical reactor (FBER) provided with two boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes (as cathode and anode) under batch recirculation mode. A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was run down to model and assess the influence of initial pH in an interval of 3.71 to 11.28, the current density in an interval of 34.32 to 185.68 mA cm-2, and liquid volumetric flow rate in an interval of 0.58 to 1.42 L min-1, and conduct the convex optimization to obtain the maximum degradation efficiency. Experimental results were modeled through a second-order polynomial equation having a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9705 with a variance coefficient of 1.1%. Optimal operating conditions found (initial pH of 5.38, current density (j) of 34.4 mA cm-2, and liquid flow rate (Q) of 1.42 L min-1) led to a global maximum degradation efficiency, COD removal efficiency, and mineralization efficiency of 89.3, 51.6 and 53.1%, respectively, with an energy consumption of 0.041 kWh L-1 within 9 h of treatment. Additionally, a pseudo-zero-order kinetic model was demonstrated to fit the experimental data and the calculated pseudo-zero-order kinetic constant (kapp) was 13.14 mg L-1 h-1 (2.54 × 10-5 mol dm-3 h-1). Furthermore, the total operating cost was of 0.47 US$ L-1. Finally, this research could be helpful for the treatment of wastewater containing an anti-COVID-19 drug such as CQ. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10008-023-05452-7.

Impact of Drug Repurposing on SARS-Cov-2 Main Protease

Abstract: The recent emergence of the severe acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus remains a concern posing many challenges to public health and the global economy. The resolved crystal structure of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 or SCV2 (Mpro) has led to its identification as an attractive target for designing potent antiviral drugs. Herein, we provide a comparative molecular impact of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), remdesivir, and β-D-N4-Hydroxycytidine (NHC) binding on SCV2 Mpro using various computational approaches like molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Data analyses showed that HCQ, remdesivir, and NHC binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro decrease the protease loop capacity to fluctuate. These binding influences the drugs' optimum orientation in the conformational space of SCV2 Mpro and produce noticeable steric effects on the interactive residues. An increased hydrogen bond formation was observed in SCV2 Mpro–NHC complex with a decreased receptor residence time during NHC binding. The binding mode of remdesivir to SCV2 Mpro differs from other drugs having van der Waals interaction as the force stabilizing protein–remdesivir complex. Electrostatic interaction dominates in the SCV2 Mpro−HCQ and SCV2 Mpro–NHC. Residue Glu166 was highly involved in the stability of remdesivir and NHC binding at the SCV2 Mpro active site, while Asp187 provides stability for HCQ binding. © 2022, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Cannabinoids and neuroinflammation: Therapeutic implications

This review summarizes the pharmacological properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinoid components of several species of herbal cannabis. The pharmacological effects of the phytocannabinoids have been extensively investigated and the importance of the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) on immune cells has provided important information on the intracellular targets for these molecules. In addition to the phytocannabinoids, endogenous cannabinoids also exist in the form of anadramide and 2-srodolylglycerol (2-AG). These, together with their synthesizing and metabolizing enzymes, form the cannabinoid system. Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system and the role that neuroinflammation plays in neurological and psychiatric illness, the potential therapeutic importance of this system has been of growing interest. In addition, the need to develop drugs which specifically target the CB1 and CB2 receptors has been stimulated by the pharmacological complexity of both THC and CBD. This review briefly summarizes the therapeutic potential of the naturally occurring and the synthetic cannabinoids which will need to be developed, if such drugs are to fulfill the therapeutic promise which the cannabinoids offer. © 2023

How to face COVID-19: proposed treatments based on remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine in the presence of zinc sulfate. Docking/DFT/POM structural analysis.

Remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine derivatives form two important classes of heterocyclic compounds. They are known for their anti-malarial biological activity. This research aims to analyze the physicochemical properties of remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine compounds by the computational approach. DFT, docking, and POM analyses also identify antiviral pharmacophore sites of both compounds. The antiviral activity of hydroxychloroquine compound's in the presence of zinc sulfate and azithromycin is evaluated through its capacity to coordinate transition metals (M = Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Ru, Pt). The obtained bioinformatic results showed the potent antiviral/antibacterial activity of the prepared mixture (Hydroxychloroquine/Azithromycin/Zinc sulfate) for all the opportunistic Gram-positive, Gram-negative in the presence of coronavirus compared with the complexes Polypyridine-Ruthenium-di-aquo. The postulated zinc(II) complex of hydroxychloroquine derivatives are indeed an effective antibacterial and antiviral agent against coronavirus and should be extended to other pathogens. The combination of a pharmacophore site with a redox [Metal(OH2)2] moiety is of crucial role to fight against viruses and bacteria strains. [Formula: see text]Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Pomegranate peel polyphenols prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 main protease by in-silico docking and molecular dynamics study.

Pomegranate peel, the waste product generated from pomegranate fruit, has prophylactic properties, such as antimicrobial, anti-malarial, and controls respiratory infections and influenza. Based on the previous literature and need of the hour, molecular docking was performed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of major pomegranate peel polyphenols against COVID-19. Among the 44 studied compounds, 37 polyphenols show interaction with the catalytic dyad of the Mpro protease and 18 polyphenols have a higher binding affinity than that of the Mpro protease inhibitor (N3), indicating their high probability of binding at ACE2: SARS-CoV-2 interface. Furthermore, several polyphenols studied in this work are found to have higher binding affinity as compared to those of hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, nelfinavir, and curcumin, some of which have been earlier tested against COVID-19. Further, molecular dynamics simulations (200 ns) for Mpro-polyphenols including pelargonidin3-glucoside, quercetin3-O-rhamnoside, cyanidin3-glucoside and punicalin revealed highly stable complexes with less conformational fluctuations and similar degree of compactness. Estimation of total number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and binding free energy confirmed the stability of these Mpro-polyphenol complexes over Mpro-curcumin complex. Based on the greater binding affinity of polyphenols of pomegranate peel towards Mpro as compared to that of curcumin, pomegranate peel may be considered in any herbal medicinal formulation or may be incorporated into daily diets for prevention of COVID-19.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Characterization of in-vivo human metabolites of the oral nucleoside anti-COVID-19 drug VV116 using UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS.

VV116 is an oral nucleoside anti-COVID-19 drug undergoing clinical trials in China. We aimed to characterize its metabolites in plasma, urine, and feces of healthy Chinese male subjects after a single oral administration of 400 mg VV116, by using UHPLC-UV-Orbitrap-MS. After oral administration, VV116 was almost completely converted into the metabolite 116-N1. Seventeen other metabolites produced by the subsequent metabolism of 116-N1 were also detected, including 6 phase I metabolites and 11 phase II metabolites resulting from hydrolysis, oxidative deamination, oxidation, and CN-group removal and conjugations. The results were exploratory. The major metabolite of VV116 in human plasma and urine was 116-N1, the main metabolites in feces were M2 and 116-N1. We then synthesized a reference M2 standard and confirmed its structure by MS and NMR.

Effect of Anti-COVID-19 Mouthwashes on Shear Bond Strength of Resin-Matrix Ceramics Repaired with Resin Composite Using Universal Adhesive: An In Vitro Study.

Using anti-COVID-19 mouthwashes has become necessary to reduce acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmissions. Resin-matrix ceramic (RMCs) materials that are exposed to mouthwashes may affect the bonding of repaired materials. This research was performed to assess the effects of anti-COVID-19 mouthwashes on the shear bond strengths (SBS) of RMCs repaired with resin composites. A total of 189 rectangular specimens of two different RMCs (Vita Enamic (VE) and Shofu Block HC (ShB)) were thermocycled and randomly divided into nine subgroups according to different mouthwashes (distilled water (DW), 0.2% povidone-iodine (PVP-I), and 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP)) and surface treatment protocols (no surface treatment, hydrofluoric acid etching (HF), and sandblasting (SB)). A repair protocol for RMCs was performed (using universal adhesives and resin composites), and the specimens were assessed using an SBS test. The failure mode was examined using a stereomicroscope. The SBS data were evaluated using a three-way ANOVA and a Tukey post hoc test. The SBS were significantly affected by the RMCs, mouthwashes, and surface treatment protocols. Both surface treatment protocols (HF and SB) for both RMCs, whether immersed in anti-COVID-19 mouthwash or not, improved the SBS. For the VE immersed in HP and PVP-I, the HF surface treatment had the highest SBS. For the ShB immersed in HP and PVP-I, the SB surface treatment had the highest SBS.

Breastfeeding provides a protective hug and the benefits have outweighed the risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mothers have been very hesitant about breastfeeding when they have COVID-19 infection or vaccinations. Maternal milk protects neonates through its high biological value, immune factors and anti-infectious molecules and this review shows that the virus that causes COVID-19 is not transmitted through breast milk. COVID-19 vaccines induce anti-spike antibodies with neutralising capacity, and phagocytosis, and no vaccine particles or messenger ribonucleic acid have been detected in breast milk. Most drugs used for maternal COVID-19 infections are safe for breastfed infants. CONCLUSION: The clear benefits of breastfeeding by far outweigh the very low risk of infant infections from COVID-19.

Research and development of Chinese anti-COVID-19 drugs.

The outbreak and spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlighted the importance and urgency of the research and development of therapeutic drugs. Very early into the COVID-19 pandemic, China has begun developing drugs, with some notable progress. Herein, we summarizes the anti-COVID-19 drugs and promising drug candidates originally developed and researched in China. Furthermore, we discussed the developmental prospects, mechanisms of action, and advantages and disadvantages of the anti-COVID-19 drugs in development, with the aim to contribute to the rational use of drugs in COVID-19 treatment and more effective development of new drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the variants. Neutralizing antibody is an effective approach to overcome COVID-19. However, drug resistance induced by rapid virus mutation will likely to challenge neutralizing antibodies. Taking into account current epidemic trends, small molecule drugs have a crucial role in fighting COVID-19 due to their significant advantage of convenient administration and affordable and broad-spectrum. Traditional Chinese medicines, including natural products and traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, contribute to the treatment of COVID-19 due to their unique mechanism of action. Currently, the research and development of Chinese anti-COVID-19 drugs have led to some promising achievements, thus prompting us to expect even more rapidly available solutions.

Current trends in health-promoting potential and biomaterial applications of edible mushrooms for human wellness

Edible mushrooms are ubiquitous around the world due to their enormous health benefits. Mushrooms have been used as folk medicine and healthy food from ancient times but their health-promoting effects have not been explored. As a superfood, mushroom powder is an essential component of the human diet for improving health and immunity. Bioactive components present in them such as proteins, polysaccharides, terpenes, and lipids have recently sparked much attention to exhibit therapeutic properties such as anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, anti-hypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, these isolated compounds have the potentiality to be used in dietary supplements and medicines. In addition, numerous bioactive compounds such as ergosterol, gallic acid, and cordycepin proved to be essential in preventing or reducing the severity of COVID-19. This review unveils a comprehensive understanding of the nutraceutical as well as the medicinal potential of mushrooms and their applications in food products for human wellness. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Omicron subvariant BA.5 is highly contagious but containable: Successful experience from Macau.

Introduction: Due to its high transmissibility and immune escape, Omicron subvariant BA.5 has become the dominant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and led to escalating COVID-19 cases, how to cope with it becomes an urgent issue. A BA.5 infection surge burst out on 18 June 2022 and brought an unprecedented challenge to Macau, the most densely populated region worldwide. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of this outbreak and summarize the useful anti-epidemic measures and experiences during this outbreak. Methods: All data were obtained from the Government Portal of Macao SAR (https://www.gov.mo), and the Special Webpage Against Epidemics, the Macao Health Bureau (www.ssm.gov.mo). An epidemiologic study was performed to analyze epidemic outcomes, including the infection rate, the proportion of symptomatic cases, the case fatality ratio (CFR), etc. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The anti-epidemic measures and experience were reviewed and summarized. Results: The BA.5 outbreak resulted in 1,821 new cases, which was significantly more than the cumulative cases of the previous variants of COVID-19 in Macau. The symptomatic cases accounted for 38.71% of the total cases, which was higher than that of the previous variants. After 6-week concerted efforts, Macau effectively controlled the outbreak, with an infection rate of 0.27%, which was much lower than many BA.5-attacked regions. The CFR was approximately 0.86%, which was not statistically different from that of previous variants. Six victims were chronically ill senior elders and their vaccination rate was much lower than the average level. Macau took a comprehensive anti-epidemic strategy to win a quick victory against BA.5, especially the "relatively static" strategy that was first formulated and applied by Macau for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful experience showed that although BA.5 was highly contagious, it could be contained by comprehensive anti-epidemic measures, including adequate anti-epidemic preparation, herd immunity through vaccination, repeated mass nucleic acid tests and rapid antigen tests, KN-95 mask mandate, the "relatively static" strategy, precise prevention and control, epidemiological investigation and tracing, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment, etc. Discussion: In Macau, compared with the previous subvariants, BA.5 is associated with increased transmissibility and a higher proportion of symptomatic cases, however, the risk of death remains similar, and the infection rate is much lower than that in many other BA.5-attacked regions. BA.5 is highly contagious but still containable, Macau's experience may offer hints for the regions experiencing the BA.5 waves to choose or adjust a more rational anti-epidemic strategy.

[Suspected allergy to COVID-19 vaccines: A retrospective study of 320 patients]. / Suspicion d'allergie aux vaccins anti COVID-19 : étude rétrospective sur 320 patients.

Introduction: The health context with COVID-19 pandemic has led to fast development of many vaccines against the SarS-Cov-2 virus. Four of them are currently available in France and contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate 80 as excipients, already described as causing anaphylaxis. French recommendations have been suggested by allergology authorities and proposed a course of action in the event of a suspected allergy to these vaccines. Thus, allergies to excipients were the only contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination. Our main objective was to determine the impact of these allergology vaccine recommendations on the management of these patients. Our secondary objective was to determine prevalence of true allergies to these vaccines. Materials and methods: We conducted a unicentric descriptive retrospective study with all patients over 18 years of age referred for an allergological opinion before or after an injection of one of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines. Nineteen patients were classified into different interest groups, based on french recommendations. Results: The vast majority of patients did not require a pre-vaccination allergological assessment. Indeed, only 25 patients received skin tests prior to vaccination. The rest of patients were able to be vaccinated without allergological assessment. Patients not vaccinated due to allergy to excipients represent less than 1% of the population (n = 3/320). Conclusion: French recommendations made it possible to vaccinate the vast majority of patients included in our study. Allergy to PEG, polysorbate or their derivatives, the only contraindication to anti-COVID vaccination, according to the recommendations of February 2021, remains rare. Today, several authors propose tolerance inductions allowing the vaccination of patients allergic to PEGs or their derivatives with good tolerance.

Not Getting Vaccinated? It Is a Matter of Problem-Solving Abilities and Socio-Cognitive Polarization.

The anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the United States provided a significant contribution to the control of the virus spread. Despite the recommendations by public health institutions, vaccine skepticism and hesitancy contributed to low vaccine uptake, thus possibly disrupting the management of preventable diseases associated with the COVID-19 infection. The process that led individuals to accept COVID-19 vaccines required the ability to gather, synthesize, and weigh-up information within a novel, dynamically changing, complex, and ambiguous context. To deal with such complexity, we hypothesized that both the ability of reflection and flexible adaptation played a fundamental role. Based on previous research on cognitive predictors of vaccine refusal, we decided to investigate the combined role of two constructs, namely, problem-solving skills and socio-cognitive polarization (SCP), on vaccine acceptance and uptake. Two-hundred-seventy-seven US participants completed an online survey aimed to measure problem-solving ability, through a rebus puzzles task, and SCP, through a composite measure of absolutist thinking, political conservatism, and xenophobia. Mediation analyses indicated that SCP mediated the association between problem-solving ability and vaccine acceptance, so lower problem-solving abilities associated with higher polarization predicted vaccine rejection. Thus, our findings suggested that low problem-solving skills may represent a risk factor for COVID-19 vaccine refusal, with cognitive and social rigidity playing a crucial role in undermining the anti-COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

ATTITUDES TOWARD CORONAVIRUS PROTECTION MEASURES IN ENTERPRISES (on the Example of the Ulyanovsk Region)

The paper explores anti-COVID restrictions in Russian enterprises. It based on a series of qualitative interviews conducted with workers and experts as part of a longitudinal study in 2020–2021 in the Ulyanovsk region. We focus on three key aspects: quarantine, mask wearing and vaccination, showing the attitudes of workers towards these measures, the degree of their acceptance or resistance to them. We conclude that restrictions were largely ineffective, but they allowed employers to increase control over staff and led to violations of labor rights. Coercion rather than persuasion served as the primary tool for promoting anti-COVID measures. The workers did not relate the implementation of these measures to occupational safety or management's concern about their health, but expressed a growing feeling of powerlessness. Anti-COVID restrictions are perceived to have reduced staff cohesion and caused conflicts between workers and management. Informants criticized both the content of the measures and the non-systemic manner of their implementation. The paper traces how long the anti-COVID measures lasted, and what were the reasons for their cancellation. © 2022, Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of Molnupiravir anti-COVID-19 drug over B12N12 and Al12N12 nanocarriers: a DFT study.

The potentiality of B12N12 and Al12N12 nanocarriers to adsorb Molnupiravir anti-COVID-19 drug, for the first time, was herein elucidated using a series of quantum mechanical calculations. Density function theory (DFT) was systematically utilized. Interaction (Eint) and adsorption (Eads) energies showed higher negative values for Molnupiravir···Al12N12 complexes compared with Molnupiravir···B12N12 analogs. Symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) results proclaimed that the adsorption process was predominated by electrostatic forces. Notably, the alterations in the distributions of the molecular orbitals ensured that the B12N12 and Al12N12 nanocarriers were efficient candidates for delivering the Molnupiravir drug. From the thermodynamic perspective, the adsorption process of Molnupiravir drug over B12N12 and Al12N12 nanocarriers had spontaneous and exothermic nature. The ESP, QTAIM, NCI, and DOS observations exposed the tendency of BN and Al12N12 to adsorb the Molnupiravir drug. Overall, these findings proposed that the B12N12 and Al12N12 nanocarriers are efficient aspirants for the development of the Molnupiravir anti-COVID-19 drug delivery process.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.