An Exploration of the Safety of "Pneumonia Prevention No. 1" in Healthy Populations.

Background: "Pneumonia Prevention No.1" belongs to 'traditional Chinese medicine prescription for prevention of viral pneumonia and influenza' was urgently formulated by Notice on Printing the Novel Coronavirus Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme for COVID-19 (Trial Version 3) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment Scheme for COVID-19 in Hubei Province (Trial). Because the prescription drug has the bidirectional regulation function of human immune function, moderate improvement of immune function can effectively resist virus invasion, while excessive immune function will produce immune overresponse. Excessive immune response will aggravate the condition of patients with COVID-19, resulting in the death of severe patients. Methods: Twenty medical workers aged 20-60 years old, who had no immune disease, no current disease and healthy physical examination, were selected as participants. The participants took Hubei "Pneumonia Prevention No.1" decoction, one dosage each day, twice a day, for 7 consecutive days. With the before-after control method, blood samples were collected from the median cubital veins before and after medication. Immunoglobulin IgA, IgG and IgM were measured by immunoturbidimetry, and T lymphocyte subsets CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 were measured by flow cytometry. The changes of indexes before and after medication were compared with SPPS 13.0 statistical software. The data were expressed by (mean ± standard deviation). T-test was adopted, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant (P < 0.05). Results: The results of this study show that in healthy participants, the immunoglobulin and T lymphocyte subsets did not differ significantly before and after drug administration (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Under normal drug administration circumstances, "Pneumonia Prevention No. 1" had no significant regulating effect on the immune system in a healthy population and did not increase the immune system capacity beyond a reasonable range. It is safe to be used as a prophylactic measure in healthy populations.

Immune response and homeostasis mechanism following administration of BBIBP-CorV SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine.

The BBIBP-CorV severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) inactivated vaccine has been authorized for emergency use and widely distributed. We used single-cell transcriptome sequencing to characterize the dynamics of immune responses to the BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine. In addition to the expected induction of humoral immunity, we found that the inactivated vaccine induced multiple, comprehensive immune responses, including significantly increased proportions of CD16+ monocytes and activation of monocyte antigen presentation pathways; T cell activation pathway upregulation in CD8+ T cells, along with increased activation of CD4+ T cells; significant enhancement of cell-cell communications between innate and adaptive immunity; and the induction of regulatory CD4+ T cells and co-inhibitory interactions to maintain immune homeostasis after vaccination. Additionally, comparative analysis revealed higher neutralizing antibody levels, distinct expansion of naive T cells, a shared increased proportion of regulatory CD4+ T cells, and upregulated expression of functional genes in booster dose recipients with a longer interval after the second vaccination. Our research will support a comprehensive understanding of the systemic immune responses elicited by the BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine, which will facilitate the formulation of better vaccination strategies and the design of new vaccines.

Effects and safety of auricular acupressure on depression and anxiety in isolated COVID-19 patients: A single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Psychological distress such as depression and anxiety resulted from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have attracted increasing attention. The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects and safety of auricular acupressure on depression and anxiety in isolated COVID-19 patients. Methods: 68 participants diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia (18-80 years old, SDS ≥ 50, SAS ≥ 45) were recruited and randomly allocated to the auricular acupressure group and the sham auricular acupressure group by a computer-generated random number sequence from 9th June to 30th June 2022. The group allocation was only blinded to the participants. Those in the auricular acupressure group were attached magnetic beads against 4 auricular points Shenmen, Subcortex, Liver and Endocrine, while sham group used four irrelevant auricular points. Outcomes were measured by Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SAS) before and after treatment in both groups through electronic questionnaire in mobile phones. Results: After treatment, statistically significant differences were found in scores of SAS in both groups (P < 0.001 in auricular acupressure group; P = 0.003 in sham group), and SDS scores reduced significantly in the auricular acupressure group (P = 0.002). Significant reduced SAS and SDS scores were achieved in the auricular acupressure group than that in the sham group (F = 4.008, P = 0.049, MD -7.70 95% CI: -9.00, -6.40, SMD -2.79 95% CI: -3.47, -2.11 in SDS; F = 10.186, P = 0.002, MD -14.00 95% CI: -15.47, -12.53, SMD -4.46 95% CI: -5.37, -3.56 in SAS). No adverse events were found in either group during the whole study. Conclusion: Auricular acupressure is an effective and safe treatment for alleviating symptoms of depressive and anxiety in patients with COVID-19. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn//, identifier ChiCTR2200061351.

COVID-induced 3 weeks' treatment delay may exacerbate breast cancer patient's psychological symptoms.

The delayed access to cancer treatment due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic posed a unique challenge to breast cancer patients and caused a significant level of mental distress among them. In the current research, we examined the psychological impacts of COVID on a subpopulation of breast cancer patients from a hospital in Shaanxi province of China using Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). Participants were 195 breast cancer patients at the outpatient clinic of Xijing hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. We found that a treatment delay of more than 3 weeks may exacerbate breast cancer patients' psychological symptoms, such as somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism, whereas a short-term delay of less than 3 weeks is less likely to have a significant effect on one's mental well-being. Additionally, breast cancer survivors, especially those at more advance stages, tend to experience more elevated psychological symptoms with longer treatment delay, and whose treatments continues to be delayed reported stronger psychological symptoms than individuals whose treatment are resumed, regardless of treatment type.

Schaftoside inhibits 3CLpro and PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 virus and regulates immune response and inflammation of host cells for the treatment of COVID-19.

It is an urgent demand worldwide to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro) are key targets to discover SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. After screening 12 Chinese herbal medicines and 125 compounds from licorice, we found that a popular natural product schaftoside inhibited 3CLpro and PLpro with IC50 values of 1.73 ± 0.22 and 3.91 ± 0.19 µmol/L, respectively, and inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells with EC50 of 11.83 ± 3.23 µmol/L. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations, together with site-directed mutagenesis indicated the antiviral activities of schaftoside were related with non-covalent interactions with H41, G143 and R188 of 3CLpro, and K157, E167 and A246 of PLpro. Moreover, proteomics analysis and cytokine assay revealed that schaftoside also regulated immune response and inflammation of the host cells. The anti-inflammatory activities of schaftoside were confirmed on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice. Schaftoside showed good safety and pharmacokinetic property, and could be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

A (2+1)-Dimensional Fractional-Order Epidemic Model with Pulse Jumps for Omicron COVID-19 Transmission and Its Numerical Simulation

In this paper, we would like to propose a (2+1)-dimensional fractional-order epidemic model with pulse jumps to describe the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The problem of identifying the involved parameters in the proposed model is reduced to a minimization problem of a quadratic objective function, based on the reported data. Moreover, we perform numerical simulation to study the effect of the parameters in diverse fractional-order cases. The number of undiscovered cases can be calculated precisely to assess the severity of the outbreak. The results by numerical simulation show that the degree of accuracy is higher than the classical epidemic models. The regular testing protocol is very important to find the undiscovered cases in the beginning of the outbreak.

Pathogenesis and Treatment of Cytokine Storm Induced by Infectious Diseases.

Cytokine storm is a phenomenon characterized by strong elevated circulating cytokines that most often occur after an overreactive immune system is activated by an acute systemic infection. A variety of cells participate in cytokine storm induction and progression, with profiles of cytokines released during cytokine storm varying from disease to disease. This review focuses on pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cytokine storm induction and progression induced by pathogenic invasive infectious diseases. Strategies for targeted treatment of various types of infection-induced cytokine storms are described from both host and pathogen perspectives. In summary, current studies indicate that cytokine storm-targeted therapies can effectively alleviate tissue damage while promoting the clearance of invading pathogens. Based on this premise, "multi-omics" immune system profiling should facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic strategies to alleviate cytokine storms caused by various diseases.

A Longitudinal Study on the Mental Health of College Students in Jinan During the Peak Stage of the COVID-19 Epidemic and the Society Reopening.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19, a continuously emerging human-to-human infectious disease, has exerted a significant impact on the mental health of college students. However, little is known regarding the variations in the mental health issues experienced by college students during the peak versus reopening stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. METHODS: To assess these issues, an online longitudinal survey was conducted via a WeChat applet. Undergraduates (n = 300) were recruited from 26 universities throughout Jinan in February 2020 (T1 - the epidemic peak stage) and in January 2021 (T2 - the society reopening stage). Their mental status was determined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item, and the Insomnia Severity Index. RESULTS: Of the original 300 college students recruited for this survey, 294 responses at T1 and 285 at T2 were analyzed. Compared with responses obtained at T1, college students at T2 showed a greater prevalence of depression (65.3 vs. 51.0%; p = 0.001) and anxiety (47.7 vs. 38.1%, p = 0.019), and experienced more severe depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001). Both males (p = 0.03) and females (p < 0.01) showed higher levels of depression at T2 versus T1, while no differences were obtained with regard to anxiety and insomnia. At T1, Grade 4 students showed greater levels of depression (p = 0.005) and anxiety (p = 0.008) than that of Grade 1 students. While at T2, only greater levels of depression (p = 0.004) were present when compared with that of Grade 1 students. Additionally, Grade 4 college students demonstrated a greater prevalence of depression at T2 versus T1 (p = 0.03), but no statistically differences were present for anxiety and insomnia. No statistically significant differences were obtained among the 4 grades of college students for insomnia at either the T1 or T2. CONCLUSION: With progression of the COVID-19 epidemic, college students showed increasing levels of depression and anxiety, with Grade 4 college students being most seriously affected. It is imperative that intervention strategies be implemented to mitigate against these mental health issues resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Research on Kinematics Analysis and Trajectory Planning of Novel EOD Manipulator

To address the problems of mismatch, poor flexibility and low accuracy of ordinary manipulators in the complex special deflagration work process, this paper proposes a new five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) folding deflagration manipulator. Firstly, the overall structure of the explosion-expulsion manipulator is introduced. The redundant degrees of freedom are formed by the parallel joint axes of the shoulder joint, elbow joint and wrist pitching joint, which increase the flexibility of the mechanism. Aiming at a complex system with multiple degrees of freedom and strong coupling of the manipulator, the virtual joint is introduced, the corresponding forward kinematics model is established by D–H method, and the inverse kinematics solution of the manipulator is derived by analytical method. In the MATLAB platform, the workspace of the manipulator is analyzed by Monte Carlo pseudo-random number method. The quintic polynomial interpolation method is used to simulate the deflagration task in joint space. Finally, the actual prototype experiment is carried out using the data obtained by simulation. The trajectory planning using the quintic polynomial interpolation method can ensure the smooth movement of the manipulator and high accuracy of operation. Furthermore, the trajectory is basically consistent with the simulation trajectory, which can realize the work requirements of putting the object into the explosion-proof tank. The new 5-DOF folding deflagration manipulator designed in this paper has stable motion and strong robustness, which can be used for deflagration during the COVID-19 epidemic.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Mental Health Problems of Medical and Nonmedical Students in Shandong During the COVID-19 Epidemic Recovery Period.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a plethora of psychological problems worldwide since its onset in December 2019. In the upheaval period, compared with medical college students, nonmedical students' psychological state deserves additional concern due to their lack of medical knowledge. Although the epidemic in China has been largely controlled for several months, the mental health problems resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic persist to this day. In this study, we assessed the mental health problems and associated risk factors experienced by nonmedical vs. medical college students in universities of Shandong Province during the COVID-19 epidemic recovery period. Methods: An online survey was conducted over the period from 17 to 19 December 2020. A total of 954 Chinese college students (486 nonmedical and 468 medical students) from three universities of Shandong Province participated in the survey. Mental health variables were assessed with use of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: Compared with medical students, nonmedical college students had higher prevalence rates of depression (53.9 vs. 46.4%; p = 0.020) and insomnia (28.0 vs. 22.4%, p = 0.049), as well as higher total scores on the PHQ-9 (p = 0.03) and ISI (p < 0.01). Among nonmedical college students, being female and native of non-Shandong were risk factors for anxiety and depression (p < 0.01), while only native of non-Shandong for insomnia (p < 0.01). Among medical students, age (p < 0.01) and living in rural areas (p = 0.04) were risk factors for depression, while only age (p < 0.05) was a risk factor for anxiety and insomnia. Conclusion: Nonmedical college students in the universities of Shandong Province had more mental health problems and more risk factors for developing them during the COVID-19 epidemic recovery period than medical students. These nonmedical students require additional attention and recovery programs to alleviate the increased incidence of psychological problems related to COVID-19.

Management and implementation strategies of pre-screening triage in children during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Guangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Emerging infectious diseases are a constant threat to the public's health and health care systems around the world. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), which was defined by the World Health Organization as pandemic, has rapidly emerged as a global health threat. Outbreak evolution and prevention of international implications require substantial flexibility of frontline health care facilities in their response. AIM: To explore the effect of the implementation and management strategy of pre-screening triage in children during COVID-19. METHODS: The standardized triage screening procedures included a standardized triage screening questionnaire, setup of pre-screening triage station, multi-point temperature monitoring, extensive screenings, and two-way protection. In order to ensure the implementation of the pre-screening triage, the prevention and control management strategies included training, emergency exercise, and staff protection. Statistical analysis was performed on the data from all the children hospitalized from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2020 at solstice during the pandemic period. Data were obtained from questionnaires and electronic medical record systems. RESULTS: A total of 17561 children, including 2652 who met the criteria for screening, 192 suspected cases, and two confirmed cases without omission, were screened from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2020 at solstice during the pandemic period. There was zero transmission of the infection to any medical staff. CONCLUSION: The effective strategies for pre-screening triage have an essential role in the prevention and control of hospital infection.

Automatic Classification Approach for Detecting COVID-19 using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (preprint)

The COVID-19 pandemic situation has created even more difficulties in the quick identification and screening of the COVID-19 patients for the medical specialists. Therefore, a significant study is necessary for detecting COVID-19 cases using an automated diagnosis method, which can aid in controlling the spreading of the virus. In this paper, the study suggests a Deep Convolutional Neural Network-based multi-classification approach (COV-MCNet) using eight different pre-trained architectures such as VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50V2, DenseNet201, InceptionV3, MobileNet, InceptionResNetV2, Xception which are trained and tested on the X-ray images of COVID-19, Normal, Viral Pneumonia, and Bacterial Pneumonia. The results from 3-class (Normal vs. COVID-19 vs. Viral Pneumonia) showed that only the ResNet50V2 model provides the highest classification performance (accuracy: 95.83%, precision: 96.12%, recall: 96.11%, F1-score: 96.11%, specificity: 97.84%) compared to rest of the models. The results from 4-class (Normal vs. COVID-19 vs. Viral Pneumonia vs. Bacterial Pneumonia) demonstrated that the pre-trained model DenseNet201 provides the highest classification performance (accuracy: 92.54%, precision: 93.05%, recall: 92.81%, F1-score: 92.83%, specificity: 97.47%). Notably, the ResNet50V2 (3-class) and DenseNet201 (4-class) models in the proposed COV-MCNet framework showed higher accuracy compared to the rest six models. This indicates that the designed system can produce promising results to detect the COVID-19 cases on the availability of more data. The proposed multi-classification network (COV-MCNet) significantly speeds up the existing radiology-based method, which will be helpful to the medical community and clinical specialists for early diagnosis of the COVID-19 cases during this pandemic.