Web-based music learning environment

ABSTRACT The paper compares the effectiveness of the online and blended learning of music during COVID-19. The study involved 140 students from Nanjing Xiaozhuang University in China. The research design: a pre-test and post-test experiment with a control group. The following research findings were obtained: the combination of face-to-face and online learning resulted in significant increases in PK (from 205.72 to 303.40), TPK (from 258.75 to 271.50), PCK (from 271.00 to 295.00) and TPCK (from 261.00 to 293.00) among students in TPACK test, which was significant (p < 0.05). The experimental group's scores on the Piano Lesson Achievement Test were higher (293.00) than those of the control group (174.00), which was considered statistically significant (z = 2.67). The research suggests that personalized blended learning to play the piano is more effective than conventional online learning. The results can provide fundamental insights when designing and implementing online or blended piano courses. For example, a piano video tutorial can be created and applied in terms of personalized online instruction. Further on, it is important to explore alternative methods in online music learning (learning through apps, videos, etc.), to study their effectiveness in music education, to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each method. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Predicting DNA-binding protein and coronavirus protein flexibility using protein dihedral angle and sequence feature.

The flexibility of protein structure is related to various biological processes, such as molecular recognition, allosteric regulation, catalytic activity, and protein stability. At the molecular level, protein dynamics and flexibility are important factors to understand protein function. DNA-binding proteins and Coronavirus proteins are of great concern and relatively unique proteins. However, exploring the flexibility of DNA-binding proteins and Coronavirus proteins through experiments or calculations is a difficult process. Since protein dihedral rotational motion can be used to predict protein structural changes, it provides key information about protein local conformation. Therefore, this paper introduces a method to improve the accuracy of protein flexibility prediction, DihProFle (Prediction of DNA-binding proteins and Coronavirus proteins flexibility introduces the calculated dihedral Angle information). Based on protein dihedral Angle information, protein evolution information, and amino acid physical and chemical properties, DihProFle realizes the prediction of protein flexibility in two cases on DNA-binding proteins and Coronavirus proteins, and assigns flexibility class to each protein sequence position. In this study, compared with the flexible prediction using sequence evolution information, and physicochemical properties of amino acids, the flexible prediction accuracy based on protein dihedral Angle information, sequence evolution information and physicochemical properties of amino acids improved by 2.2% and 3.1% in the nonstrict and strict conditions, respectively. And DihProFle achieves better performance than previous methods for protein flexibility analysis. In addition, we further analyzed the correlation of amino acid properties and protein dihedral angles with residues flexibility. The results show that the charged hydrophilic residues have higher proportion in the flexible region, and the rigid region tends to be in the angular range of the protein dihedral angle (such as the ψ angle of amino acid residues is more flexible than rigid in the range of 91°-120°). Therefore, the results indicate that hydrophilic residues and protein dihedral angle information play an important role in protein flexibility.

Performance and microbial community features of tidal-flow biochar-amended constructed wetlands treating sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-containing greywater

A large quantity of surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) are discharged along with greywater especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, while information on the treatment of surfactant-containing greywater using eco-friendly constructed wetlands (CWs) and the impact of surfactants on CW systems has rarely been reported. In the present study, lab-scale CWs amended with a biochar substrate and operated in tidal flow (TF) mode were used to treat SDS-containing greywater. The results showed that the biochar-amended CWs removed NH4+-N significantly better (18.2–37.9%) than the gravel-only CWs (2.5–24.6%) but removed phosphorus (P) and COD less efficiently, and the feeding of SDS at 50 and 100 mg/L led to a notable decrease in N removal. TF not only notably improved the pollutant removal performance but also effectively eliminated SDS stress in the CWs (NH4+-N removal of 67.1–72.1%). Mean SDS removal efficiencies of 75.3–79.3% were obtained in the CWs. TF mode altered the microbial community structure and metabolic pattern and enhanced the abundance of functional bacteria related to N and P removal in the CWs. The bacterial community shifted considerably with SDS feeding, resulting in higher species diversity and more intensive co-occurrence network relationships. TF-CWs filled with composite substrates are highly feasible and promising for the treatment of SDS-containing greywater.

Caregiver Willingness to Vaccinate Children with Pneumococcal Vaccines and to Pay in a Low-Resource Setting in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To determine the vaccine hesitancy of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in a low-resource setting in China and to identify associated factors, a face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted in the city of Guilin, China, from December 2021 to March 2022, which comprised sociodemographic information, attitudes toward vaccines and pneumonia, and PCV13 vaccination willingness and willingness to pay (WTP). Stepwise logistic regression and Tobit regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with PCV13 vaccination willingness and WTP, respectively. In total, 1254 questionnaires were included, of which 899, 254, and 101 participants showed acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal to vaccinate their children with PCV13, respectively. Only 39.07% of participants knew about PCV13 before this survey. A total of 558 (48.40%) participants accepted the full payment of vaccination, and 477 (41.37%) other participants accepted the partial payment, with a median cost of CNY 920.00. Demographics, social and psychological context, and attitudes toward vaccines were all associated with PCV13 vaccination but varied for hesitators and refusers. There is a substantial local demand for vaccinating children with PCV13 and partial payment is widely accepted. More publicity and educational efforts and a socially supportive environment are required to alleviate vaccine hesitancy.

Asthma mortality attributable to ambient temperatures: A case-crossover study in China.

BACKGROUND: Whether ambient temperature exposure contributes to death from asthma remains unknown to date. We therefore conducted a case-crossover study in China to quantitatively evaluate the association and burden of ambient temperature exposure on asthma mortality. METHODS: Using data from the National Mortality Surveillance System in China, we conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 15 888 individuals who lived in Hubei and Jiangsu province, China and died from asthma as the underlying cause in 2015-2019. Individual-level exposures to air temperature and apparent temperature on the date of death and 21 days prior were assessed based on each subject's residential address. Distributed lag nonlinear models based on conditional logistic regression were used to quantify exposure-response associations and calculate fraction and number of deaths attributable to non-optimum ambient temperatures. RESULTS: We observed a reverse J-shaped association between air temperature and risk of asthma mortality, with a minimum mortality temperature of 21.3 °C. Non-optimum ambient temperature is responsible for substantial excess mortality from asthma. In total, 26.3% of asthma mortality were attributable to non-optimum temperatures, with moderate cold, moderate hot, extreme cold and extreme hot responsible for 21.7%, 2.4%, 2.1% and 0.9% of asthma mortality, respectively. The total attributable fraction and number was significantly higher among adults aged less than 80 years in hot temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to non-optimum ambient temperature, especially moderate cold temperature, was responsible for substantial excess mortality from asthma. These findings have important implications for planning of public-health interventions to minimize the adverse respiratory damage from non-optimum ambient temperature.

Exploring Sustainable Fashion Consumption Behavior in the Post-Pandemic Era: Changes in the Antecedents of Second-Hand Clothing-Sharing in China

Second-hand consumption of clothing plays a vital role in promoting the overall global trend of low-carbon transition;however, the COVID-19 outbreak put this consumption model into a development dilemma. Cultivating consumers' sustainable behavior will be an effective way to promote the sustainable development of the apparel industry. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study starts with fashion-sharing behavior and investigates the antecedents that influence consumers' use of second-hand clothing-sharing platforms in the post-pandemic era. The research background involves the Chinese clothing-sharing market in the growing period. The findings revealed that the pandemic raised people's awareness of health and hygiene protection. In addition, the cleaning problem of platform clothing has become the primary reason for curbing consumers' choice of sharing. High-cost performance, high efficiency, and convenience can stimulate consumers to use shared services. Considering that the pandemic has driven consumer economic fluctuations, perceived economic risks could widen the gap between willingness and behavior. In conclusion, platforms must fully realize the transparency of the clothing cleaning and maintenance process, improve their own construction level such as ease of use, convenience, and safety, and incorporate functional clothing-sharing to refine people's sustainable consumption habits.

Focusing on Future Applications and Current Challenges of Plant Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Plant derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized membranous vesicles released by plant cells, which contain lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and specific pharmacologically active substances. They are safe, widely available and expediently extractive. They have gratifyingly biological activity against inflammation, cancer, bacteria and oxidative aging, especially for the prevention or treatment of colitis, cancer, alcoholic liver, and COVID-19. In addition, as natural drug carriers, plant derived EVs have the potential to target the delivery of small molecule drugs and nucleic acid through oral, transdermal, injection. With the above advantages, plant derived EVs are expected to have excellent strong competitiveness in clinical application or preventive health care products in the future. We comprehensively reviewed the latest separation methods and physical characterization techniques of plant derived EVs, summarized the application of them in disease prevention or treatment and as a new drug carrier, and analyzed the clinical application prospect of plant derived EVs as a new drug carrier in the future. Finally, the problems hindering the development of plant derived EVs at present and consideration of the standardized application of them are discussed.

Identifying the individual metabolic abnormities from a systemic perspective using whole-body PET imaging.

INTRODUCTION: Distinct physiological states arise from complex interactions among the various organs present in the human body. PET is a non-invasive modality with numerous successful applications in oncology, neurology, and cardiology. However, while PET imaging has been applied extensively in detecting focal lesions or diseases, its potential in detecting systemic abnormalities is seldom explored, mostly because total-body imaging was not possible until recently. METHODS: In this context, the present study proposes a framework capable of constructing an individual metabolic abnormality network using a subject's whole-body 18F-FDG SUV image and a normal control database. The developed framework was evaluated in the patients with lung cancer, the one discharged after suffering from Covid-19 disease, and the one that had gastrointestinal bleeding with the underlying cause unknown. RESULTS: The framework could successfully capture the deviation of these patients from healthy subjects at the level of both system and organ. The strength of the altered network edges revealed the abnormal metabolic connection between organs. The overall deviation of the network nodes was observed to be highly correlated to the organ SUV measures. Therefore, the molecular connectivity of glucose metabolism was characterized at a single subject level. CONCLUSION: The proposed framework represents a significant step toward the use of PET imaging for identifying metabolic dysfunction from a systemic perspective. A better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms and the physiological interpretation of the interregional connections identified in the present study warrant further research.

SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus enters the host cells through spike protein-CD147 in an Arf6-dependent manner.

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants is threatening public health around the world. Endocytosis functions as an important way for viral infection, and SARS-CoV-2 bears no exception. However, the specific endocytic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown. In this study, we used endocytic inhibitors to evaluate the role of different endocytic routes in SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection and found that the viral infection was associated with caveolar/lipid raft- and cytoskeleton-mediated endocytosis, but independent of the clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis. Meanwhile, the knockdown of CD147 and Rab5a in Vero E6 and Huh-7 cells inhibited SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection, and the co-localization of spike protein, CD147, and Rab5a was observed in pseudovirus-infected Vero E6 cells, which was weakened by CD147 silencing, illustrating that SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entered the host cells via CD147-mediated endocytosis. Additionally, Arf6 silencing markedly inhibited pseudovirus infection in Vero E6 and Huh-7 cells, while little change was observed in CD147 knockout-Vero E6 cells. This finding indicated Arf6-mediated CD147 trafficking plays a vital role in SARS-CoV-2 entry. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the CD147-Arf6 axis in mediating SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry into the host cells, and further suggest that blockade of this pathway seems to be a feasible approach to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection clinically.

Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with cured coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) one month post-discharge Prevalencia y predictores de TEPT en pacientes recuperados de COVID-19 un mes después del alta 新型冠状病毒肺炎患者 (COVID-19) 出院一个月后创伤后应激障碍的患病率和预测因素

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can place an immense psychological strain on the infected patient. The psychological distress can linger after the initial recovery from the infection. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of provisional post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with cured COVID-2019. Methods: The baseline survey was conducted from 10 to 25 February 2020 in patients with COVID-19 in a designated hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics were acquired, and depression and anxiety levels were assessed, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, respectively. A follow-up survey was conducted 1 month post-discharge. PTSD symptoms were measured by the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6) and patients’ perception of supportive care during hospitalization was investigated using a self-developed questionnaire. Results: In total, 114 patients completed both the baseline and follow-up surveys. Of these, 41 (36.0%) met the cut-off score for provisional PTSD diagnosis according to the IES-6. Female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 4.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54–14.37], educational level of high school or below (OR = 15.49, 95% CI 1.13–212.71), higher anxiety levels (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.12–1.61) and lower perceptions of emotional support during hospitalization (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.17–0.96) predicted a higher risk for provisional PTSD. Conclusions: PTSD is commonly seen in patients with COVID-19 1 month post-discharge. Female patients, and patients with lower educational levels, higher anxiety levels and lower perceptions of emotional support during hospitalization may be more likely to develop PTSD in the near future. Enhancing emotional support during hospitalization could help to prevent PTSD in patients with COVID-19. HIGHLIGHTS More than one-third ofpatients met the diagnostic criteria of probable PTSD 1 month post-discharge. Providing timely emotional support during hospitaliza-tion may be one of the key measures for preventing PTSD in patients with COVID-19.

Biomarkers and Immune Repertoire Metrics Identified by Peripheral Blood Transcriptomic Sequencing Reveal the Pathogenesis of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a global crisis; however, our current understanding of the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection remains limited. Herein, we performed RNA sequencing using peripheral blood from acute and convalescent patients and interrogated the dynamic changes of adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection over time. Our results revealed numerous alterations in these cohorts in terms of gene expression profiles and the features of immune repertoire. Moreover, a machine learning method was developed and resulted in the identification of five independent biomarkers and a collection of biomarkers that could accurately differentiate and predict the development of COVID-19. Interestingly, the increased expression of one of these biomarkers, UCHL1, a molecule related to nervous system damage, was associated with the clustering of severe symptoms. Importantly, analyses on immune repertoire metrics revealed the distinct kinetics of T-cell and B-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, with B-cell response plateaued in the acute phase and declined thereafter, whereas T-cell response can be maintained for up to 6 months post-infection onset and T-cell clonality was positively correlated with the serum level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Together, the significantly altered genes or biomarkers, as well as the abnormally high levels of B-cell response in acute infection, may contribute to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 through mediating inflammation and immune responses, whereas prolonged T-cell response in the convalescents might help these patients in preventing reinfection. Thus, our findings could provide insight into the underlying molecular mechanism of host immune response to COVID-19 and facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies and effective vaccines.

Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with cured coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) one month post-discharge.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can place an immense psychological strain on the infected patient. The psychological distress can linger after the initial recovery from the infection. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of provisional post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with cured COVID-2019. Methods: The baseline survey was conducted from 10 to 25 February 2020 in patients with COVID-19 in a designated hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics were acquired, and depression and anxiety levels were assessed, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, respectively. A follow-up survey was conducted 1 month post-discharge. PTSD symptoms were measured by the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6) and patients' perception of supportive care during hospitalization was investigated using a self-developed questionnaire. Results: In total, 114 patients completed both the baseline and follow-up surveys. Of these, 41 (36.0%) met the cut-off score for provisional PTSD diagnosis according to the IES-6. Female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 4.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54-14.37], educational level of high school or below (OR = 15.49, 95% CI 1.13-212.71), higher anxiety levels (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.12-1.61) and lower perceptions of emotional support during hospitalization (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.17-0.96) predicted a higher risk for provisional PTSD. Conclusions: PTSD is commonly seen in patients with COVID-19 1 month post-discharge. Female patients, and patients with lower educational levels, higher anxiety levels and lower perceptions of emotional support during hospitalization may be more likely to develop PTSD in the near future. Enhancing emotional support during hospitalization could help to prevent PTSD in patients with COVID-19.

Antecedentes: El COVID-19 ha supuesto una inmensa carga psicológica para el paciente infectado. El malestar psicológico puede persistir aún después de la recuperación inicial de la infección.Objetivos: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la prevalencia y los factores predictores del trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) provisional en pacientes recuperados de COVID-2019.Métodos: El cuestionario inicial se realizó en pacientes con el COVID-19 desde el 10 de febrero del 2020 hasta el 25 de febrero del 2020 en un hospital designado. Se consideraron las variables demográficas y clínicas, además, se evaluaron los niveles de depresión y ansiedad mediante el cuestionario de salud del paciente de 9 elementos y el cuestionario del trastorno de ansiedad generalizada de 7 elementos, respectivamente. Un cuestionario de seguimiento fue realizado un mes después del alta. Los síntomas de TEPT fueron medidos por el Cuestionario de Eventos de Impacto 6 (IES-6 por sus siglas en ingles) y el nivel de percepción de los pacientes sobre el cuidado de soporte durante la hospitalización fue investigado utilizando un cuestionario auto-administrado.Resultados: Ciento catorce pacientes completaron tanto el cuestionario inicial como el de seguimiento. Cuarenta y un (36.0%) pacientes cumplieron con el punto de corte para el diagnóstico provisional de TEPT según el IES-6. El sexo femenino (OR = 4.69, 95% CI: 1.54-14.37), un nivel de educación secundaria o inferior (OR = 15.49, 95% CI: 1.13-212.71), niveles elevados de ansiedad (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12-1.61) y una menor percepción de soporte emocional durante la hospitalización (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96) fueron factores predictores de riesgo elevado para el desarrollo provisional de TEPT.Conclusiones: El TEPT es observado con frecuencia en pacientes con COVID-19 un mes después del alta. Las pacientes de sexo femenino, los pacientes con un nivel de educación bajo, los pacientes con un nivel elevado de ansiedad y una menor percepción de apoyo emocional durante la hospitalización podrían tener mayor probabilidad de desarrollar TEPT en el futuro cercano. El reforzamiento del apoyo emocional durante la hospitalización podría ayudar a prevenir el TEPT en pacientes con COVID-19.

Risk and protective factors for anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and an anxiety-provoking event. There are few studies to identify potential risk and protective factors related to anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We collected information on demographic data and lifestyles by a web-based survey of 19,802 participants from 34 provinces in China during COVID-19 pandemic. Level of anxiety was evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. We used ordinal multivariable logistic regression to estimate the associations of anxiety level with potential risk and protective factors. We further developed a new score to simplify the assessment of anxiety during COVID-19 crisis. RESULTS: Among 19,802 participants, we found that those who were front-line medical personnel, suffered from chronic disease, with present symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection or contact history had 112, 93, 40 and 15% increased risk of higher anxiety level; while those with knowledge about personal protective measures or wore masks had 75 and 29% lower risk of higher anxiety level respectively. We developed a risk score by calculating the sum of single score of 17 factors. Each one increase of the risk score was associated with a 297% increase in anxiety index score. In categorical analysis, low risk (the risk score between 1 to 2), the moderate risk group (the risk score of 3) and high risk group (the risk score ≥ 4) had - 0.40 (95% CI: - 1.55, 0.76), 1.44 (95% CI: 0.27, 2.61) and 9.18 (95% CI: 8.04, 10.33) increase in anxiety index score, and 26% (95% CI: - 7, 72%), 172% (95% CI: 100, 270%), and 733% (95% CI: 516, 1026%) higher risk of anxiety respectively, when compared with the very low risk group (the risk score of 0). The AUC was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.72, 0.74) for the model fitted the developed risk score, with the cut-off point of 3.5. CONCLUSIONS: These findings revealed protective and risk factors associated with anxiety, and developed a simple method of identifying people who are at an increased risk of anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping and growing in dilemma: Clinical work experience of front-line nurses in Wuhan during the early stage of COVID-19 epidemic.

AIM: To deeply explore the experience of front-line nurses who participated in rescuing Wuhan during the early stage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. METHODS: Using a descriptive qualitative design, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between February 25 and March 5, 2020. A conventional content analysis method was used in data analysis to extract themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: Six themes emerged after data analysis: (a) worries and stress during rescue; (b) difficulties encountered during rescue; (c) experience of team work; (d) experience of interaction with COVID-19 patients; (e) experience of logistic support and widespread concern; and (f) value and significance of the experience. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses took on difficult missions in the rescue and played an irreplaceable role. They experienced remarkable psychological changes over the intensive work. It was necessary to understand the feelings and problems of the nurses so as to establish a healthcare system that can protect medical staff effectively in future disasters.

Negative Appraisals of the COVID-19 Social Impact Associated With the Improvement of Depression and Anxiety in Patients After COVID-19 Recovery.

Objective: Little is known about the factors affecting the recovery of mental health in COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this study is to look into the change of psychological distress and to explore the role of negative appraisals in the improvement of psychological distress in COVID-19 patients after they recovered from the infection. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal survey on patients with COVID-19 infection in Changsha. The 9-item Patient Health scale, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, and a newly developed measure, the COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS) were applied to assess patients' depression, anxiety, and negative appraisal toward COVID-19 infection during their hospitalization and 1 month post-discharge. Results: Seventy-two patients were included in the analysis. A significant decrease in anxiety and depression levels was observed after patients were discharged from hospital. Two meaningful factors of the CIS were extracted based on factor analysis, namely "health impact," and "social impact." The change of social impact explained the 12.7 and 10.5% variance in the depression and anxiety symptom improvement, respectively. Conclusions: Change in negative appraisals, especially the appraisals related to COVID-19 social impact may play a vital role in the relief of psychological distress of infected patients. Therefore, a cognitive and social care perspective might be considered when promoting the mental health recovery and readjustment to society among COVID-19 patients.

Effects of centralized isolation vs. home isolation on psychological distress in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of isolation form on the recovery of psychological distress in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after being discharged from hospital. METHODS: Baseline survey was conducted from February 10, 2020 to February 25, 2020 in patients with COVID-19 in a designated hospital on the discharge day. After discharge, patients were free to choose whether isolate in a centralized isolation site (i.e. designated hotel) or their own home for another two weeks. A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of the 2-week post-discharge isolation. Depression, anxiety as well as self-rated health were assessed at both time points using the 9-item patient health questionnaire, 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale and self-rated health scores, respectively. RESULTS: Fifty centrally isolated and 45 home isolated patients completed both the baseline and the follow-up assessments. Significant effects of time and time by isolation form were found on depression and anxiety levels, with a significant decrease in depression and anxiety shown in home isolated but not in centrally isolated patients. Besides, a significant time effect was identified on self-rated health with significant improvement found in home isolated but not in centrally isolated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Home isolation is superior to centralized isolation in the recovery of COVID-19-associated depression, anxiety as well as self-rated health. More attention needs to be paid to the psychological well-being of centrally isolated patients. A sustained and integrated rehabilitation plan is warranted for patients with COVID-19 to achieve both physical and psychological recovery.

Predictive role of clinical features in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 for severe disease. / 2019å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’ç— æ‚£è€ ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾å¯¹é‡ç—‡åŒ–çš„é¢„æµ‹ä½œç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has spread rapidly in China and many other countries. The rapid increase in the number of cases has caused widespread panic among people and has become the main public health problem in the world. Severe patients often have difficult breathing and/or hypoxemia after 1 week of onset. A few critically ill patients may not only rapidly develop into acute respiratory distress syndrome, but also may cause coagulopathy, as well as multiple organs failure (such as heart, liver and kidney) or even death. This article is to analyze the predictive role of clinical features in patients with COVID-19 for severe disease, so as to help doctor monitor the severity-related features, restrain the disease progress, and provide a reference for improvement of medical treatment. METHODS: The clinical data of 208 patients with COVID-19 who were isolated and treated in Changsha Public Health Treatment Center from January 17, 2020 to March 14, 2020 were collected. All patients were the mild and ordinary adult patients on admission, including 105 males and 103 females from 19 to 84 (median age 44) years old. According to the "Program for the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infected pneumonia (Trial version 7)" issued by the General Office of National Health Committee and Office of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine as the diagnostic and typing criteria. According to progression from mild to severe disease during hospitalization, the patients were divided into a mild group (n=183) and a severe transformation group (n=25). The clinical features such as age, underlying disease, blood routine, coagulation function, blood biochemistry, oxygenation index, and so on were analyzed. Among them, laboratory tests included white blood cell (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), neutrophil (NEU), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), plasma fibrinogen (Fib), activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), D-dimer, total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Cr), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), and oxygen partial pressure in arterial blood. Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood/fractional concentration of inspiratory oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) was calculated. The variables with statistical significance were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients in the severe transformation group had more combined underlying diseases than those in the mild group (P<0.05). From the perspective of disease distribution, patients in the severe transformation group had more combined hypertension (P<0.05). In the severe transformation group, PT was significantly longer, the levels of Fib, ALT, AST, CK, LDH, and CRP were significantly higher than those in the mild group (P<0.05 or P<0.001), while LYM, ALB, and PaO2/FiO2 were significantly lower than those in the mild group (P<0.05 or P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis was performed on clinical features with statistically significant differences. Combined with hypertension, LYM, PT, Fib, ALB, ALT, AST, CK, LDH, and CRP as independent variables, and having severe disease or not was the dependent variable. The results show that combined hypertension, decreased LYM, longer PT, and increased CK level were independent risk factors that affected the severity of COVID-19 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The patients with mild COVID-19 who are apt to develop severe diseases may be related to combined hypertension, decreased LYM, and longer PT, and increased CK level. For the mild patients with these clinical features, early intervention may effectively prevent the progression to severe diseases.

Mental health status of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Changsha. / 长沙地区2019å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’ç— æ‚£è€ çš„å¿ƒç†å¥åº·çŠ¶å†µ.

OBJECTIVES: The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought psychological stress to the public, especially to patients. This study aims to investigate the mental health of patients with COVID-19 in Changsha. METHODS: We took cross-section investigation for the mental health of 112 patients with COVID-19 via questionnaires. Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were performed to compare general and clinical data between the slight-ordinary patients and severe patients. Single sample t-tests were used to compare the difference between the factor scores of the Symptom Check-List 90 (SCL-90) in COVID-19 patients with the norm of 2015 and factor scores of SCL-90 in patients with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). RESULTS: The obsessive-compulsive, depression, sleep and eating disorders had the highest frequency among the positive symptoms of SCL-90 in patients with COVID-19 in Changsha. The factor scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, phobia anxiety, sleep and eating disorders in patients with COVID-19 were higher than those of the norm (P≤0.001 or P<0.05). Slight-ordinary patients with COVID-19 in Changsha showed lower factor scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, and hostility compared with the patients with SARS (P<0.001 or P<0.05). There was no difference in factor scores of SCL-90 between the patients with severe COVID-19 and those with SARS(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, phobia anxiety, sleep and eating disorders in patients with COVID-19 in Changsha are higher than those of the norm. However, the mental health of slight-ordinary patients with COVID-19 is better than that of patients with SARS. It needs to provide targeting psychological interventions depending on the severity of patients.

Can Masks Be Reused After Hot Water Decontamination During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Masks have become one of the most indispensable pieces of personal protective equipment and are important strategic products during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to the huge mask demand-supply gap all over the world, the development of user-friendly technologies and methods is urgently needed to effectively extend the service time of masks. In this article, we report a very simple approach for the decontamination of masks for multiple reuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Used masks were soaked in hot water at a temperature greater than 56 °C for 30 min, based on a recommended method to kill COVID-19 virus by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. The masks were then dried using an ordinary household hair dryer to recharge the masks with electrostatic charge to recover their filtration function (the so-called "hot water decontamination + charge regeneration" method). Three kinds of typical masks (disposable medical masks, surgical masks, and KN95-grade masks) were treated and tested. The filtration efficiencies of the regenerated masks were almost maintained and met the requirements of the respective standards. These findings should have important implications for the reuse of polypropylene masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance evolution of masks during human wear was further studied, and a company (Zhejiang Runtu Co., Ltd.) applied this method to enable their workers to extend the use of masks. Mask use at the company was reduced from one mask per day per person to one mask every three days per person, and 122 500 masks were saved during the period from 20 February to 30 March 2020. Furthermore, a new method for detection of faulty masks based on the penetrant inspection of fluorescent nanoparticles was established, which may provide scientific guidance and technical methods for the future development of reusable masks, structural optimization, and the formulation of comprehensive performance evaluation standards.