Blaming the unvaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic: the roles of political ideology and risk perceptions in the USA.

Individuals unvaccinated against COVID-19 (C19) experienced prejudice and blame for the pandemic. Because people vastly overestimate C19 risks, we examined whether these negative judgements could be partially understood as a form of scapegoating (ie, blaming a group unfairly for an undesirable outcome) and whether political ideology (previously shown to shape risk perceptions in the USA) moderates scapegoating of the unvaccinated. We grounded our analyses in scapegoating literature and risk perception during C19. We obtained support for our speculations through two vignette-based studies conducted in the USA in early 2022. We varied the risk profiles (age, prior infection, comorbidities) and vaccination statuses of vignette characters (eg, vaccinated, vaccinated without recent boosters, unvaccinated, unvaccinated-recovered), while keeping all other information constant. We observed that people hold the unvaccinated (vs vaccinated) more responsible for negative pandemic outcomes and that political ideology moderated these effects: liberals (vs conservatives) were more likely to scapegoat the unvaccinated (vs vaccinated), even when presented with information challenging the culpability of the unvaccinated known at the time of data collection (eg, natural immunity, availability of vaccines, time since last vaccination). These findings support a scapegoating explanation for a specific group-based prejudice that emerged during the C19 pandemic. We encourage medical ethicists to examine the negative consequences of significant C19 risk overestimation among the public. The public needs accurate information about health issues. That may involve combating misinformation that overestimates and underestimates disease risk with similar vigilance to error.

An Evolutionary Game Model of the Supply Decisions between GNPOs and Hospitals during a Public Health Emergency

The distribution of medical supplies tied to the government-owned nonprofit organizations (GNPOs) is crucial to the sustainable and high-quality development of emergency response to public health emergencies. This paper constructs a two-sided GNPO–hospital game model in a Chinese context, and explores the strategies and influencing factors of medical supply distribution in public health emergencies based on evolutionary game theory. The results show that: (1) GNPOs, as the distributor of medical supplies, should choose strategies that balance efficiency and equity as much as possible. (2) Hospitals, as the recipient of medical supplies, should actively choose strategies that maximize the total benefit to society and strengthen trust in GNPOs. Meanwhile, hospital managers need to pay attention to reducing the impact of communication and coordination costs and strive for the reduction of conflicts between different values. (3) The government should strengthen supervision to avoid conflicts between medical distributors and receivers during a public health emergency and ensure the rescue efficiency. This study provides some reference for the sustainable development of emergency relief in public health emergencies.

Green Innovation, Corporate Environmental Ethics, and Competitive Advantages of Chinese Automobile Industry During COVID-19: Corporate Environmental Management as Moderator

Objective The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of green product and process innovation on the competitive advantages of the Chinese automobile industry during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study also examined the mediating role of corporate environmental ethics (CEE) and the moderating role of corporate environmental management in the relationship between the green product and process innovation on the competitive advantages of the Chinese automobile industry during COVID-19. Methods This study used a quantitative approach of research with the cross-sectional method for the collection of data. This study also used purposive sampling for the collection of data from the production managers of the automobile industry of China. The structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) is used to analyze the data. Results The results of direct effects indicated that green product innovation has a significant and positive effect on the corporate advantages (β = 0.294, t = 2.868) and green process innovation also has a significant and positive effect on the corporate advantages (β = 0.350, t = 3.276). Moreover, green product innovation has also a significant effect on corporate advantages (β = 0.334, t = 4.258) and green product innovation has also a significant effect on corporate advantages (β = 0.269, t = 3.202). Significance The research in this domain about the antecedents of green innovation is still minimal in the previous literature. One of the antecedents of the green innovation, corporate environmental ethics is discussed in this study;thus, it provides the understanding of green innovation as the mediator which would mediate the relationship between corporate environmental ethics and competitive advantage in the auto manufacturing industry of China. Novelty This study is among very few to examine the relationship between green innovation, corporate environmental ethics, corporate environmental management, and competitive advantages of the Chinese automobile industry during COVID-19.

Structures, properties, and challenges of emerging 2D materials in bioelectronics and biosensors

Bioelectronics are powerful tools for monitoring and stimulating biological and biochemical processes, with applications ranging from neural interface simulation to biosensing. The increasing demand for bioelectronics has greatly promoted the development of new nanomaterials as detection platforms. Recently, owing to their ultrathin structures and excellent physicochemical properties, emerging two‐dimensional (2D) materials have become one of the most researched areas in the fields of bioelectronics and biosensors. In this timely review, the physicochemical structures of the most representative emerging 2D materials and the design of their nanostructures for engineering high‐performance bioelectronic and biosensing devices are presented. We focus on the structural optimization of emerging 2D material‐based composites to achieve better regulation for enhancing the performance of bioelectronics. Subsequently, the recent developments of emerging 2D materials in bioelectronics, such as neural interface simulation, biomolecular/biomarker detection, and skin sensors are discussed thoroughly. Finally, we provide conclusive views on the current challenges and future perspectives on utilizing emerging 2D materials and their composites for bioelectronics and biosensors. This review will offer important guidance in designing and applying emerging 2D materials in bioelectronics, thus further promoting their prospects in a wide biomedical field.

Point‐of‐Care Platform for Rapid Multiplexed Detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 Variants and Respiratory Pathogens

The rise of highly transmissible SARS‐CoV‐2 variants brings new challenges and concerns with vaccine efficacy, diagnostic sensitivity, and public health responses to end the pandemic. Widespread detection of variants is critical to inform policy decisions to mitigate further spread, and postpandemic multiplexed screening of respiratory viruses will be necessary to properly manage patients presenting with similar respiratory symptoms. In this work, a portable, magnetofluidic cartridge platform for automated polymerase chain reaction testing in <30 min is developed. Cartridges are designed for multiplexed detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 with either identification of variant mutations or screening for Influenza A and B. Moreover, the platform can perform identification of B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants and the multiplexed SARS‐CoV‐2/Influenza assay using archived clinical nasopharyngeal swab eluates and saliva samples. This work illustrates a path toward affordable and immediate testing with potential to aid surveillance of viral variants and inform patient treatment. A portable instrument integrates sample preparation with direct coupling to multiplexed polymerase chain reaction assays in a single magnetofluidic cartridge. This platform demonstrates identification of SARS‐CoV‐2 in patient swab and saliva samples with simultaneous screening for variants of concern or influenza A and B in less than 30 min.

The dark side of belief in Covid-19 scientists and scientific evidence.

We draw from an interdisciplinary literature on convictions to examine the manifestations and consequences of firmly held beliefs in Covid-19 (C19) science. Across three studies (N = 743), we assess participants' beliefs in C19 experts, and beliefs in supported and unsupported empirical evidence. Study 1 establishes the basic theoretical links and we show that an individual's belief in science on C19 is associated with dispositional belief in science and moralization of C19 mitigation measures. Our subsequent two studies show how stronger belief in C19 science influences distrust in unmasked individuals past the mandates, and greater endorsement of pandemic mitigation authoritarianism. We document the dark side that emerges when belief in C19 science extends beyond the generally desirable scientific literacy and manifests as a conviction that public health experts are the only ones who can handle the pandemic, and that even unsupported claims about C19 are supported by scientific evidence (e.g., risk of outdoor transmission is high). We also highlight our political ideology findings showing that both liberals and conservatives mis-calibrate C19 risks in different ways, and we conclude with discussing how examining the darker side of scientific beliefs can inform our understanding of people's reactions to the pandemic.

Point-of-Care Platform for Rapid Multiplexed Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Respiratory Pathogens.

The rise of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants brings new challenges and concerns with vaccine efficacy, diagnostic sensitivity, and public health responses to end the pandemic. Widespread detection of variants is critical to inform policy decisions to mitigate further spread, and postpandemic multiplexed screening of respiratory viruses will be necessary to properly manage patients presenting with similar respiratory symptoms. In this work, a portable, magnetofluidic cartridge platform for automated polymerase chain reaction testing in <30 min is developed. Cartridges are designed for multiplexed detection of SARS-CoV-2 with either identification of variant mutations or screening for Influenza A and B. Moreover, the platform can perform identification of B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants and the multiplexed SARS-CoV-2/Influenza assay using archived clinical nasopharyngeal swab eluates and saliva samples. This work illustrates a path toward affordable and immediate testing with potential to aid surveillance of viral variants and inform patient treatment.

Impact persistence of stock market risks in commodity markets: Evidence from China.

The risk spillover among financial markets has been noticeably investigated in a burgeoning number of literature. Given those doctrines, we scrutinize the impact persistence of volatility spillover and illiquidity spillover of Chinese commodity markets in this paper. Based on the sample from 2010 to 2020, we reveal that there is a cross-market spillover of volatility and illiquidity in China and also, interactions between volatility and illiquidity in different financial markets are pronounced. More importantly, we demonstrate that different commodity markets have different responsiveness to stock market shocks, which embeds their market characteristics. Specifically, we discover that the majority of the traders in gold market might be hedger and therefore gold market is more sensitive to stock market illiquidity shock and thus the shock impact in persistent. On the other hand, agricultural markets like corn and soybean markets might be dominated by investors and thus those markets respond to the stock market volatility shocks and the shock impact in persistent over 10 periods given the first period of risk shock happening. In fact, different Chinese commodity markets' responsiveness towards Chinese stock market risk shocks indicates the stock market risk impact persistence in Chinese commodity markets. This result can help policymakers to understand the policy propagation effect according to this risk spillover channel and risk impact persistence mechanism in China.

Magnetofluidic immuno-PCR for point-of-care COVID-19 serological testing.

Serological tests play an important role in the fight against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including monitoring the dynamic immune response after vaccination, identifying past infection and determining community infection rate. Conventional methods for serological testing, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and chemiluminescence immunoassays, provide reliable and sensitive antibody detection but require sophisticated laboratory infrastructure and/or lengthy assay time. Conversely, lateral flow immunoassays are suitable for rapid point-of-care tests but have limited sensitivity. Here, we describe the development of a rapid and sensitive magnetofluidic immuno-PCR platform that can address the current gap in point-of-care serological testing for COVID-19. Our magnetofluidic immuno-PCR platform automates a magnetic bead-based, single-binding, and one-wash immuno-PCR assay in a palm-sized magnetofluidic device and delivers results in ∼30 min. In the device, a programmable magnetic arm attracts and transports magnetically-captured antibodies through assay reagents pre-loaded in a companion plastic cartridge, and a miniaturized thermocycler and a fluorescence detector perform immuno-PCR to detect the antibodies. We evaluated our magnetofluidic immuno-PCR with 108 clinical serum/plasma samples and achieved 93.8% (45/48) sensitivity and 98.3% (59/60) specificity, demonstrating its potential as a rapid and sensitive point-of-care serological test for COVID-19.

Point-of-care CRISPR-Cas-assisted SARS-CoV-2 detection in an automated and portable droplet magnetofluidic device.

In the fight against COVID-19, there remains an unmet need for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic testing tools that can rapidly and sensitively detect the causative SARS-CoV-2 virus to control disease transmission and improve patient management. Emerging CRISPR-Cas-assisted SARS-CoV-2 detection assays are viewed as transformative solutions for POC diagnostic testing, but their lack of streamlined sample preparation and full integration within an automated and portable device hamper their potential for POC use. We report herein POC-CRISPR - a single-step CRISPR-Cas-assisted assay that incoporates sample preparation with minimal manual operation via facile magnetic-based nucleic acid concentration and transport. Moreover, POC-CRISPR has been adapted into a compact thermoplastic cartridge within a palm-sized yet fully-integrated and automated device. During analytical evaluation, POC-CRISPR was able detect 1 genome equivalent/µL SARS-CoV-2 RNA from a sample volume of 100 µL in < 30 min. When evaluated with 27 unprocessed clinical nasopharyngeal swab eluates that were pre-typed by standard RT-qPCR (Cq values ranged from 18.3 to 30.2 for the positive samples), POC-CRISPR achieved 27 out of 27 concordance and could detect positive samples with high SARS-CoV-2 loads (Cq < 25) in 20 min.

Childhood Bacille Calmette-Guerin Vaccination and Its Association With Less Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: The potential for Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination to mitigate COVID-19 severity and perhaps infection susceptibility has been hypothesized, attracting global attention given its off-target benefits shown in several respiratory viral infections. METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, China were categorized into Bacille Calmette-Guerin‒vaccinated and nonvaccinated groups. Clinical records, demography, laboratory results, and chest computed tomography scans were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: No adverse events were observed, except for an increased frequency of chills in the Bacille Calmette-Guerin‒vaccinated group compared with that in the unvaccinated group (p=0.014). There were no significant differences in oxygen demand for breathing, computed tomography scans, treatments, or outcomes between the 2 groups. However, Bacille Calmette-Guerin‒vaccinated group had significantly less severe pneumonia (p=0.028) and milder deficiency in liver function, consistent with a lower death rate than in the unvaccinated group. CONCLUSIONS: Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination received in childhood is associated with less severe COVID-19 pneumonia and milder liver function deficiency in addition to a lower death rate in Bacille Calmette-Guerin‒vaccinated patients than in nonvaccinated individuals.

Role of the SphK-S1P-S1PRs pathway in invasion of the nervous system by SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract Global spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still ongoing. Before an effective vaccine is available, the development of potential treatments for resultant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial. One of disease hallmarks is hyper-inflammatory responses, which usually leads to a severe lung disease. Patients with COVID-19 also frequently suffered from neurological symptoms such as acute diffuse encephalomyelitis, brain injury and psychiatric complications. The metabolic pathway of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a dynamic regulator of various cell types and disease processes, including the nervous system. It has been demonstrated that S1P and its metabolic enzymes, regulating neuroinflammation and neurogenesis, exhibit important functions during viral infection. S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) analogs including AAL-R and RP-002 inhibit pathophysiological responses at the early stage of H1N1 virus infection and then play a protective role. Fingolimod (FTY720) is an S1P receptor modulator and is being tested for treating COVID-19. Our review provides an overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection and critical role of the SphK-S1P-SIPR pathway in invasion of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in the central nervous system (CNS). This may help design therapeutic strategies based on the S1P-mediated signal transduction, and the adjuvant therapeutic effects of S1P analogs to limit or prevent the interaction between the host and SARS-CoV-2, block the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, and consequently treat related complications in the CNS.

Role of the SphK-S1P-S1PRs pathway in invasion of the nervous system by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Global spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still ongoing. Before an effective vaccine is available, the development of potential treatments for resultant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial. One of the disease hallmarks is hyper-inflammatory responses, which usually leads to a severe lung disease. Patients with COVID-19 also frequently suffer from neurological symptoms such as acute diffuse encephalomyelitis, brain injury and psychiatric complications. The metabolic pathway of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a dynamic regulator of various cell types and disease processes, including the nervous system. It has been demonstrated that S1P and its metabolic enzymes, regulating neuroinflammation and neurogenesis, exhibit important functions during viral infection. S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) analogues including AAL-R and RP-002 inhibit pathophysiological responses at the early stage of H1N1 virus infection and then play a protective role. Fingolimod (FTY720) is an S1P receptor modulator and is being tested for treating COVID-19. Our review provides an overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection and critical role of the SphK-S1P-SIPR pathway in invasion of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in the central nervous system (CNS). This may help design therapeutic strategies based on the S1P-mediated signal transduction, and the adjuvant therapeutic effects of S1P analogues to limit or prevent the interaction between the host and SARS-CoV-2, block the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, and consequently treat related complications in the CNS.

Moralization of Covid-19 health response: Asymmetry in tolerance for human costs.

We hypothesized that because Covid-19 (C19) remains an urgent and visible threat, efforts to combat its negative health consequences have become moralized. This moralization of health-based efforts may generate asymmetries in judgement, whereby harmful by-products of those efforts (i.e., instrumental harm) are perceived as more acceptable than harm resulting from non-C19 efforts, such as prioritizing the economy or non-C19 issues. We tested our predictions in two experimental studies. In Study 1, American participants evaluated the same costs (public shaming, deaths and illnesses, and police abuse of power) as more acceptable when they resulted from efforts to minimize C19's health impacts, than when they resulted from non-health C19 efforts (e.g., prioritizing economic costs) or efforts unrelated to C19 (e.g., reducing traffic deaths). In Study 2, New Zealand participants less favorably evaluated the quality of a research proposal empirically questioning continuing a C19 elimination strategy in NZ than one questioning abandoning an elimination strategy, although both proposals contained the same amount of methodology information. This finding suggests questioning elimination approaches is morally condemned, a similar response to that found when sacred values are questioned. In both studies, condition effects were mediated by lowered moral outrage in response to costs resulting from pursuing health-minded C19 efforts. Follow-up analyses revealed that both heightened personal concern over contracting C19 and liberal ideology were associated with greater asymmetries in human cost evaluation. Altogether, results suggest efforts to reduce or eliminate C19 have become moralized, generating asymmetries in evaluations of human suffering.

A soluble ACE2 microbody protein fused to a single immunoglobulin Fc domain is a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture (preprint)

Soluble forms of ACE2 have recently been shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report on an improved soluble form of ACE2, termed a "microbody" in which the ACE2 ectodomain is fused to Fc domain 3 of the immunoglobulin heavy chain. The protein is smaller than previously described ACE2-Ig Fc fusion proteins and contains an H345A mutation in the catalytic active site that inactivates the enzyme without reducing its affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike. The disulfide-bonded ACE2 microbody inhibited entry of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein pseudotyped virus and live SARS-CoV-2 with a potency 10-fold higher than unmodified soluble ACE2 and retained activity even after the virus had bound to the cell. The ACE2 microbody inhibited entry of ACE2-utilizing {beta} coronaviruses and entry of viruses with the high infectivity variant D614G spike. The ACE2 microbody may be a valuable therapeutic for COVID-19 that is active against SARS-CoV-2 variants and against coronaviruses that may arise in the future.

SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the SR-B1-mediated HDL uptake pathway for its entry (preprint)

The recently emerged pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly, leading to a global COVID-19 pandemic. Binding of the viral spike protein (SARS-2-S) to cell surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mediates host cell infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that in addition to ACE2, the S1 subunit of SARS-2-S binds to HDL and that SARS-CoV-2 hijacks the SR-B1-mediated HDL uptake pathway to facilitate its entry. SR-B1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 entry into permissive cells by augmenting virus attachment. MAb (monoclonal antibody)-mediated blocking of SARS-2-S-HDL binding and SR-B1 antagonists strongly inhibit HDL-enhanced SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, SR-B1 is co-expressed with ACE2 in human pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues. These findings revealed a novel mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 entry and could provide a new target to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.