Background:<br />To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on performance indicators in the population-based breast cancer screening program of Parc de Salut Mar (PSMAR), Barcelona, Spain.<br /><br />Methods:<br />We conducted a before-and-after, quasi-experimental study to evaluate participation, recall, false-positives, cancer detection rate, and cancer characteristics in our screening population from March 2020 to March 2021 compared with the four previous rounds (2012-2019). Using independent logistic regression models, we estimated the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of each of the performance indicators for the COVID-19 period, controlling by type of screening (prevalent or incident), socioeconomic index, family history of breast cancer, and menopausal status. We analyzed 144,779 observations from 47,571 women.<br /><br />Results<br />During the COVID-19 period, the odds of participation were 11% lower in first-time invitees (aOR=0.89[95%CI=0.84-0.96]) and in those who had previously participated regularly and irregularly (aOR=0.65 [95%CI=0.61-0.69] and aOR=0.93 [95%CI=0.85-1.03], respectively). Participation showed a modest increase in women not attending any of the previous rounds (aOR=1.07 [95%CI=0.99-1.17]). The recall rate slightly decreased in both prevalent and incident screening (aOR=0.89 [95%CI=0.78-1.01] and aOR=0.89 [95%CI=0.79-1.00], respectively). No significant differences were observed in false-positives (prevalent - aOR=1.07 [95%CI=0.92-1.24] and incident screening -aOR=0.94 [95%CI=0.82-1.08]), cancer detection rate (aOR=0.91 [95%CI=0.69-1.18]), or cancer stages.<br /><br />Conclusions:<br />The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected screening attendance, especially in previous participants and newcomers. We found no marked differences in recall, false-positives, or cancer detection, indicating the program’s resilience. There is a need for further evaluations of interval cancers and potential diagnostic delays.<br /><br />
Funding: <br />This study has received funding by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III FEDER (grant numbers: PI19/00007 and PI21/00058), and by the Health Outcomes-Oriented Cooperative Research Networks (RICORS) ), with reference RD21/0016/0020 co-funded with European Union – NextGenerationEU funds.
Vaccination remains the most promising mitigation strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing literature shows significant disparities in vaccination uptake in the United States. Using publicly available national- level data, we aimed to explore if county-level social capital can further explain disparities in vaccination uptake rate adjusting for demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) variables; and if association between social capital and vaccination uptake may vary by urbanization level. Bivariate analyses and hierarchical multivariable quasi- binomial regression analysis were conducted, then the regression analysis was stratified by urban-rural status. The current study suggests that social capital contributes significantly to the disparities of vaccination uptake in the US. The results of stratification analysis show common predictors of vaccine uptake but also suggest various patterns based on urbanization level regarding the associations of COVID-19 vaccination uptake with SDOH and social capital factors. The study provides a new perspective to address disparities in vaccination uptake through fostering social capital within communities, which may inform tailored public health intervention efforts in enhancing social capital and promoting vaccination uptake.
Background Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have reported inconsistent effects from intensified anticoagulation on clinical outcomes in Covid-19. We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis from available trials to quantify effect on non-fatal and fatal outcomes and identify subgroups who may benefit. Methods We searched multiple databases for RCTs comparing intensified (intermediate or therapeutic dose) versus standard prophylactic dose anticoagulation in adults with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 through 19 January 2022. The primary efficacy outcome was all-cause mortality at end of follow-up or discharge. We used random effects meta-analysis to estimate pooled risk ratios for mortality, thrombotic, and bleeding events, and performed subgroup analysis for clinical setting and dose of intensified anticoagulation. Results Eleven RCTs were included (n = 5873). Intensified anticoagulation was not associated with a reduction in mortality for up to 45 days compared with prophylactic anticoagulation: 17.5% (501/2861) died in the intensified anticoagulation group and 18.8% (513/2734) died in the prophylactic anticoagulation group, relative risk (RR) 0.93; 95%CI, 0.79 – 1.10. On subgroup analysis, there was a possible signal of mortality reduction for inpatients admitted to general wards, although with low precision and high heterogeneity (5 studies; RR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.49 – 1.44; I2 = 75%) and not significantly different to studies performed in the ICU (interaction P = 0.51). Risk of venous thromboembolism was reduced with intensified anticoagulation compared with prophylaxis (8 studies; RR 0.53, 95%CI 0.41 – 0.69; I2 = 0%). This effect was driven by therapeutic rather than intermediate dosing on subgroup analysis (interaction P = 0.04). Major bleeding was increased with use of intensified anticoagulation (RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.17 – 2.56) with no interaction for dosing and clinical setting. Conclusion Intensified anticoagulation has no effect on short term mortality among hospitalised adults with Covid-19 and is associated with increased risk of bleeding. The observed reduction in venous thromboembolism risk and trend towards reduced mortality in non-ICU hospitalised patients requires exploration in additional RCTs.
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to understand variation in immunosenescence at the population-level. Thus far, population patterns of immunosenescence are not well described. Methods. We characterized measures of immunosenescence from newly released venous blood data from the nationally representative U.S Health and Retirement Study (HRS) of individuals ages 56 years and older. Findings. Median values of the CD8+:CD4+, EMRA:Naive CD4+ and EMRA:Naive CD8+ ratios were higher among older participants and were lower in those with additional educational attainment. Generally, minoritized race and ethnic groups had immune markers suggestive of a more aged immune profile: Hispanics had a CD8+:CD4+ median value of 0.37 (95% CI: 0.35, 0.39) compared to 0.30 in Whites (95% CI: 0.29, 0.31). Blacks had the highest median value of the EMRA:Naive CD4+ ratio (0.08; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.09) compared to Whites (0.03; 95% CI: 0.028, 0.033). In regression analyses, race/ethnicity and education were associated with large differences in the immune ratio measures after adjustment for age and sex. For example, each additional level of education was associated with roughly an additional decade of immunological age, and the racial/ethnic differences were associated with two to four decades of additional immunological age. Interpretation. Our study provides novel insights into population variation in immunosenescence. This has implications for both risk of age-related disease and vulnerability to novel pathogens (e.g., SARS-CoV-2).
The high number of mutations in the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 cause its immune escape when compared to the earlier variants of concern (VOC). At least three vaccine doses are required for the induction of Omicron neutralizing antibodies and further reducing the risk for hospitalization. However, most of the studies have focused on the immediate response after the booster vaccination while the duration of immune response is less known. We here studied longitudinal serum samples from the vaccinated individuals up to three months after their third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine for their capacity to produce protective antibodies and T cell responses to Wuhan and Omicron variants. After the second dose, the antibody levels to the unmutated spike protein were significantly decreased at three months, and only 4% of the individuals were able to inhibit Omicron spike interaction compared to 47%, 38%, and 14% of individuals inhibiting wild-type, delta, and beta variants spike protein. Nine months after the second vaccination, the antibody levels were similar to the levels before the first dose and none of the sera inhibited SARS-CoV-2 wild-type or any of the three VOCs. The booster dose remarkably increased antibody levels and their ability to inhibit all variants. Three months after the booster the antibody levels and the inhibition activity were trending lower but still up and not significantly different from their peak values at two weeks after the third dose. Although responsiveness towards mutated spike peptides was lost in less than 20 % of vaccinated individuals, the wild-type spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells were still present at three months after the booster vaccination in the majority of studied individuals. Our data show that two doses of the BNT62b2 vaccine are not sufficient to protect against the Omicron variant, however, the spike-specific antibodies and T cell responses are strongly elicited and well maintained three months after the third vaccination dose.
Recently, a several models has been proposed to describe the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), and among them the multihit and the gut-microbiota. These models explain the pathogenesis of IgAN caused by the production of aberrant IgA, but it is believed further predisposing factors are present, including immunological, genetic, environmental, or nutritional factors that can influence the pathogenesis and that could be useful for development of precision nephrology and personalized therapy. Newly, the role of IL-6 in pathogenesis is becoming increasingly important. It is essential for glomerular immunoglobulin A deposition and the development of renal pathology in Cd37-deficient mice, even if the reason why levels of IL-6 are elevated in IgAN patients is not well understood. One attainable hypothesis on high levels of IL-6 in IgAN comes out from our recent whole genome DNA methylation screening in IgAN patients, that identified, among others, a hypermethylated region comprising Vault RNA 2-1 (VTRNA2-1), a non-coding RNA also known as precursor of miR-886 (pre-mi-RNA). Consistently, the VTRNA2-1 expression was found down-regulated in IgAN patients. Here we confirm that VTRNA2-1 is low expressed in IgAN subjects compared to HS and we found that also in transplanted IgAN patients (TP-IgAN), compared to non IgAN transplanted patients (TP), the VTRNA2-1 transcript was expressed at level very low. We found that in IgAN patients with downregulated VTRNA2-1, PKR is overactivated, coherently with the role of the VTRNA2-1 that binds to PKR and inhibits its phosphorylation. The loss of the VTRNA2-1 natural restrain causes, in turn, the activation of CREB by PKR. We found CREB, a classical cAMP-inducible CRE-binding factor interacting with a region of the IL-6 promoter and leading to IL-6 production, overactivated both in IgAN and in TP-IgAN patients. Effectively, in the same patients, we found elevated levels of IL-6 correlating with CREB and PKR phosphorylation. Since PKR is normally activated by bacterial and viral RNA we hypothesized that these microrganisms can further activate the PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway leading to an excess of IL-6 production, explaining both the high levels of IL-6, both infection involvement in the disease, both cases of IgAN associated with COVID-19 infection and with COVID-19 RNA-vaccination, and recent data showing microbiota involvment in IgAN. Effectively, we found that Effectively, we sfound that both the RNA poly(I:C) and the COVID-19 RNA-vaccine stimulation significantly increase the IL-6 levels in IgAN patient PBMCs. The PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway may be very important also in the setting of renal transplantation. We found that this pathway is upregulated also in IgAN transplanted patients. Recent studies showed that the cumulative risk of IgA nephropathy recurrence increases after transplant and is associated with a 3.7-fold greater risk of graft loss. Finally, we showed that the IL-6 secretion can be reduced by the PKR inhibitor imoxin. In conclusion, the discovery of the upregulated VTRNA2-1/PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway in IgAN patients may provide novel approach to treat the disease and may be useful for development of precision nephrology and personalized therapy, possibly by checking the VTRNA2-1 methylation level in IgAN patients.
Background: Pregnancy represents a physiological state associated with increased vulnerability to severe outcomes from infectious diseases, both for the pregnant person and developing infant. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may have important health consequences for pregnant individuals, who may also be more reluctant than non-pregnant people to accept vaccination. We sought to estimate the degree to which increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes can be attributed to pregnancy. Methods: Our study made use of a population-based SARS-CoV-2 case file from Ontario, Canada. Due to both varying propensity to receive vaccination, and changes in dominant circulating viral strains over time, a time-matched cohort study was performed to evaluate the relative risk of severe illness in pregnant women with SARS- CoV-2 compared to other SARS-CoV-2 infected women of childbearing age (10 to 49 years old). Risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 outcomes (hospitalization or intensive care unit (ICU) admission) was evaluated in pregnant women and time-matched non- pregnant controls using multivariable conditional logistic regression. Results: Compared to the rest of the population, non-pregnant women of childbearing age had an elevated risk of infection (standardized morbidity ratio (SMR) 1.28), while risk of infection was reduced among pregnant women (SMR 0.43). After adjustment for age, comorbidity, healthcare worker status, vaccination, and infecting viral variant, pregnant women had a markedly elevated risk of hospitalization (adjusted OR 4.96, 95% CI 3.86 to 6.37) and ICU admission (adjusted OR 6.58, 95% CI 3.29 to 13.18). The relative increase in hospitalization risk associated with pregnancy was greater in women without comorbidities than in those with comorbidities (P for heterogeneity 0.004). Interpretation: A time-matched cohort study suggests that while pregnant women may be at a decreased risk of infection relative to the rest of the population, their risk of severe illness is markedly elevated if infection occurs. Given the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in pregnancy, risk-benefit calculus strongly favours SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnant women.
We propose a new compartment model of COVID-19 spread, the broken-link model, which includes the effect from unconnected infectious links of the transmission. The traditional SIR-type epidemic models are widely used to analyze the spread status, and the models show the exponential growth of the number of infected people. However, even in the early stage of the spread, it is proven by the actual data that the exponential growth did not occur all over the world. We consider this is caused by the suppression of secondary and higher transmissions of COVID-19. We find that the proposed broken-link model quantitatively describes the mechanism of this suppression and is consistent with the actual data.
Empirical evidence on the social and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace and the resulting consequences for the mental health of employees is still sparse. As a result, research on this subject is urgently needed to develop appropriate countermeasures. This study builds on Person-Environment fit theory to investigate social connections at work and mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses employees’ needs for social connections and how social connections affect different mental health measures. Survey data were collected in May 2020 in an online survey of employees across Germany and analysed using response surface analysis. Mental health was measured as positive mental health and mental health disorders. Social connections were measured as social support and social interactions. 507 employees participated in the survey and more than one third reported having less social support and social interaction at work than they desired (p < .001). This was associated with a decrease in mental health. In contrast, having more than the desired amount of social support was associated with a decrease and having more than the desired amount of social interaction with an increase in mental health. This study provides important early evidence on the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace. With it, we aim to stimulate further research in the field and provide early evidence on potential mental health consequences of social distancing measures – while also opening avenues to combat them.
Platelet dependent thrombogenicty is higher in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but there is no data on association between thrombus and mortality or vascular inflammation. We studied 80 patients who received guideline based therapy (40 T2DM) after NSTE-ACS. Platelet dependent thrombus was assessed using the validated ex vivo Badimon Chamber and all patients were followed up for five years. Bio-markers of coagulation and inflammation were measured. There were 17(21.3%) deaths in total (12 in the T2DM, 71% of all deaths), at 5 years. Of the patients who died, thrombus burden was higher (μ2 per mm), Mean ± SD, 12,164 ± 3,235 vs 9,751 ± 4,333). Serum inflammatory cytokines, P selectin and soluble CD40 ligand were higher in T2DM. Univariate analysis showed thrombus area, diabetic status, age, interleukin 1 and P selectin were independent predictors of mortality. Inflammatory biomarkers were associated with thrombus burden. If these findings can be proven in large scale studies, this will lead on to novel therapeutic strategies especially in the current Covid 19 pandemic which has renewed our interest of this interplay of pathophysiology between thrombus and inflammation.
Introduction: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (the Global Fund) pivoted investments to support countries in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the Global Fund9s Board approved global pandemic preparedness and response as part of their new six-year strategy from 2023-2028. Methods: Prior research estimated that US$124 billion is required, globally, to build sufficient country-level capacity for health security, with US$76 billion needed over an initial three-year period. Action-based cost estimates generated from that research were coded as directly, indirectly, or unrelated to systems strengthening efforts applicable to HIV, TB, and/or malaria. Results: Of approximately US$76 billion needed for country level capacity-building over the next three-year allocation period, we estimate that US$66 billion is needed in Global Fund-eligible countries, and over one-third relates directly or indirectly (US$6 billion and US$21 billion, respectively) to health systems strengthening efforts applicable to HIV, TB, and/or malaria disease programs currently supported by the Global Fund. Among these investments, cost drivers include financing for surveillance and laboratory systems, to combat antimicrobial resistance, and for training, capacity- building, and ongoing support for the healthcare and public health workforce. Conclusion: This work highlights a potential strategic role for the Global Fund to contribute to health security while remaining aligned with its core mission. It demonstrates the value of action-based costing estimates to inform strategic investment planning in pandemic preparedness.
COVID-19 disease can give a range of skin manifestations, some of which specific to children and young patients. Given the different nature of the lesions in specific stages of the disease and the fact that they may be the only or predominant symptom of the disease, it is of great importance for the pediatrician and dermatologist to be familiar with COVID-19 skin lesions. The aim of this systematic review, conducted according to the PRISMA statement, is to investigate COVID-19-associated cutaneous involvement in children in terms of type of skin lesions, frequency, and time of onset, with the exclusion of those associated with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. A comprehensive literature search will be performed through PubMed between December 2019 and December 2021. The quality of each study will be assessed according to the STROBE tool for observational studies. This systematic review will provide evidence about the dermatological manifestations of COVID-19 disease in children published up to the end of year 2021. Recognizing skin symptoms as potential manifestations of COVID-19 in children is important for a non-delayed diagnosis, with prompt activation of the adequate tracing, isolation, and hygienic measures, and for timely treatment of unlikely but possible serious complications.
EPIC-Peds: Study of Oral PF-07321332 (Nirmatrelvir)/Ritonavir in Nonhospitalized COVID-19 Pediatric Patients at Risk for Severe Disease - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: nirmatrelvir; Drug: ritonavir
Sponsor: Pfizer
Not yet recruiting
Anti-inflammatory Drug Algorithm for COVID-19 Home Treatment - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Recommended treatment schedule; Drug: Usual care
Sponsors: Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research; Family physicians
Not yet recruiting
Transcranial Direct Stimulation for Persistent Fatigue Treatment Post-COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Device: Active tDCS; Device: Sham tDCS
Sponsor: Hospital San Carlos, Madrid
Not yet recruiting
Evaluation of Full Versus Fractional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Given as a Booster for the Prevention of COVID 19 in Adults in Mongolia- Mongolia, Indonesia, Australia Coronavirus (MIACoV). - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Tozinameran - Standard Dose; Biological: Tozinameran - Fractional Dose
Sponsors: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; PATH; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Not yet recruiting
A Phase III, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TD0069 Capsule as a Combination Regimen With Standard Treatment for Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: TD0069 hard capsule; Drug: TD0069 Placebo
Sponsors: Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company; Clinical Training Company
Recruiting
Nebulised Heparin in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Intervention: Drug: Unfractionated heparin
Sponsor: Lady Reading Hospital, Pakistan
Not yet recruiting
Nutrition and LOComotoric Rehabilitation in Long COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Intervention group
Sponsors:
Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Not yet recruiting
Immuno-bridging and Broadening Study of a Whole, Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine BBV152 in Healthy Adults - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: BBV152
Sponsor: Ocugen
Active, not recruiting
Self-Management Interventions for Long-COVID - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Education and Strategies Intervention; Behavioral: Mindfulness Skills Intervention
Sponsors: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute; Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); University Health Network, Toronto
Recruiting
The BOOSTED (Booster Options Or Switching Tested for Effectiveness and Downsides Study) Trial (COVID-19) - Conditions: COVID-19; Vaccine Reaction; COVID-19 Pandemic
Interventions:
Behavioral: Moderna Booster Vaccine; Behavioral: Pfizer Booster Vaccine
Sponsor:
University of California, San Francisco
Enrolling by invitation
Reparixin as add-on Therapy to Standard of Care to Limit Disease Progression in Adult Patients With COVID-19. - Conditions: COVID-19 Pneumonia; Sars-CoV-2 Infection
Interventions: Drug: Reparixin; Other: Placebo
Sponsor: Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Prevention Trial: Effect of Prophylactic Use of TAFFIX™ on Infection Rate by SARS-COV-2 VIRUS (COVID-19). - Conditions: COVID-19; Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Intervention: Device: TaffiX™
Sponsor: Nasus Pharma
Completed
An Open-label, Randomized, Parallel-arm Study Investigating the Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Administration of Pamrevlumab Versus Standard of Care in Patients With COVID-19 - Conditions: COVID-19 Respiratory Infection; COVID-19 Pneumonia; Covid19
Intervention:
Drug: Pamrevlumab
Sponsor: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Completed
Safety, Reactogenicity, and Immunogenicity Trial of CV2CoV mRNA Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2 in Seropositive Adult Participants - Condition: SARS-CoV-2
Interventions: Biological: CV2CoV (2 µg); Biological: CV2CoV (4 µg); Biological: CV2CoV (8 µg); Biological: CV2CoV (12 µg); Biological: CV2CoV (16 µg); Biological: CV2CoV (20 µg)
Sponsors: GlaxoSmithKline; CureVac AG
Not yet recruiting
Immunogenicity and Safety Study of the 3rd Booster Dose Using the High or Medium Dose of Inactivated Vaccine in Healthy Adults in in Hong Kong - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (Medium-dose); Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (High-dose)
Sponsor:
Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd.
Not yet recruiting
Disinfection efficiency test for contaminated surgical mask by using Ozone generator - CONCLUSIONS: This study provided the conditions for using O(3) (500-2000 mg/L) to reduce pathogens and disinfect contaminated surgical masks, which might be applied to reduce the inappropriate usage of reused surgical masks.
Antimicrobial Peptides: A plausible approach for COVID-19 treatment - INTRODUCTION: : Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which emerged as a major public health threat, has affected >400 million people at a global level leading to >5 million mortalities to date. Treatments of COVID-19 are still to be developed as the available therapeutic approaches are not able to combat the virus causing the disease (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2) satisfactorily. However, antiviral peptides (AVPs) have demonstrated prophylactic and therapeutic…
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Induces Ferroptosis of Sinoatrial Node Pacemaker Cells - CONCLUSIONS: Using a hamster model, we showed that primary pacemaker cells in the heart can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. Infection of hESC-derived functional SAN-like pacemaker cells demonstrates ferroptosis as a potential mechanism for causing cardiac arrhythmias in patients with COVID-19. Finally, we identified candidate drugs that can protect the SAN cells from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by zinc gluconate in combination with hinokitiol - The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is currently the major challenge to global public health. Two proteases, papain-like protease (PLpro) and the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro or Mpro), are indispensable for SARS-CoV-2 replication, making them attractive targets for antiviral therapy development. Here we screened a panel of essential metal ions using a proteolytic assay and identified that zinc gluconate, a widely-used zinc supplement, strongly…
Comparative 6-Month Wild-Type and Delta-Variant Antibody Levels and Surrogate Neutralization for Adults Vaccinated with BNT162b2 versus mRNA-1273 - While mRNA vaccines are highly efficacious against short-term COVID-19, long-term immunogenicity is less clear. We compared humoral immunogenicity between BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines 6 months after the first vaccine dose, examining the wild-type strain and multiple Delta-variant lineages. Using samples from a prospective observational cohort study of adult paramedics, we included COVID-19-negative participants who received two BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines, and provided a blood sample 170…
Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation of Natural Phenolic Compounds with GSK-3beta: A Putative Target to Combat Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 - CONCLUSION: The results of the current study may be useful in the prevention of several human disorders, including COVID-19, cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. However, wet-lab experiments need to be performed in the future.
Neem and Turmeric in the management of Covid Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) derived through network pharmacology - Mucormycosis or ‘Black Fungus’ has been known to target immunocompromised individuals even before the emergence of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the present circumstances provide the best opening for Covid Associated Mucormycosis (CAM), as the global pandemic is engulfing a large part of human population making them immunocompromised. This drastic increase in Mucormycosis infections has to be addressed as early as possible. There is a growing tendency of relying upon herbal drugs that have minimal…
Blocking SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant (B.1.617.2) Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain Binding with the ACE2 Receptor of the Host Cell and Inhibiting Virus Infections Using Human Host Defense Peptide-Conjugated Graphene Quantum Dots - The emergence of double mutation delta (B.1.617.2) variants has dropped vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although COVID-19 is responsible for more than 5.4 M deaths till now, more than 40% of infected individuals are asymptomatic carriers as the immune system of the human body can control the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Herein, we report for the first time that human host defense neutrophil α-defensin HNP1 and human cathelicidin LL-37 peptide-conjugated graphene quantum dots (GQDs)…
Evaluation of RevX solution extract as a potential inhibitor of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2-In vitro study and molecular docking - The main protease (M^(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2 is a protease necessary for viral polyprotein processing and maturation. M^(pro) cleaves the polypeptide sequence after the glutamine residues. There is no known cellular protease with this substrate specificity in humans; therefore, it is considered an attractive drug target. Previously, fermented sorghum extract RevX (trademark of Revolutrx INC.) solution significantly alleviated physical decline and complications in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma,…
Oxysterols as Reliable Markers of Quality and Safety in Cholesterol Containing Food Ingredients and Products - Cholesterol is a lipid of high nutritional value that easily undergoes oxidation through enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways, leading to a wide variety of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs), more commonly named oxysterols. The major oxysterols found in animal products are 7α-hydroxycholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, 5α,6α-epoxycholesterol, 5β,6β-epoxycholesterol, cholestan-3β,5α,6β-triol, and 25-hydroxycholesterol. They are all produced by cholesterol autoxidation, thus…
Indigo plant leaf extract inhibits the binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses its S1 spike protein to bind to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on human cells in the first step of cell entry. Tryptanthrin, extracted from leaves of the indigo plant, Polygonum tinctorium, using d-limonene (17.3 µg/ml), is considered to inhibit ACE2-mediated cell entry of another type of coronavirus, HCoV-NL63. The current study examined whether this extract could inhibit the binding of the SARS- CoV-2 spike protein to…
Comparative Magnitude and Persistence of Humoral SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Responses in the Adult Population in Germany - Recent increases in SARS-CoV-2 infections have led to questions about duration and quality of vaccine-induced immune protection. While numerous studies have been published on immune responses triggered by vaccination, these often focus on studying the impact of one or two immunisation schemes within subpopulations such as immunocompromised individuals or healthcare workers. To provide information on the duration and quality of vaccine-induced immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, we analyzed…
Simvastatin Downregulates the SARS-CoV-2-Induced Inflammatory Response and Impairs Viral Infection Through Disruption of Lipid Rafts - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a worldwide emergency caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In observational clinical studies, statins have been identified as beneficial to hospitalized patients with COVID-19. However, experimental evidence of underlying statins protection against SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive. Here we reported for the first-time experimental evidence of the protective effects of simvastatin treatment both in vitro and in vivo. We…
Are Antiviral Flavonoids Part of the Solution to the COVID-19 Pandemic? - The relentless continuation of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic clearly indicates the need to broaden our approach to this serious, worldwide problem. An important factor that has received little attention is the protective role of dietary antiviral flavonoids. Many flavonoids have been shown through molecular docking assays, as well as in silico studies, and in vitro and in vivo studies to inhibit virtually every mechanism needed by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome…
In silico evaluation of Vitis amurensis Rupr. polyphenol compounds for their inhibition potency against CoVID-19 main enzymes M(pro) and RdRp - The rapid transmission of the pneumonia (COVID-19) emerged as an entire worldwide health concern and it was declared as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a consequence of the increasing reported infections number. COVID-19 disease is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, and unfortunatly no drugs are currently approved against this desease. Accordingly, it is of outmost importance to review the possible therapeutic effects of naturally-occuring compounds that showed approved…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGES - ABSTRACTMETHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGESThe present invention provides a new approach is proposed that includes fuzzy-based approach and similarity function for filtering the mixed noise. In a peer group, the similarity function was adaptive to edge information and local noise level, which was utilized for detecting the similarity among pixels. In addition, a new filtering method Modified Trilateral Filter (MTF) with Improved Generalized Fuzzy Peer Group (IGFPG) is proposed to remove mixed impulse and Adaptive White Gaussian Noise from Color Images. The modified trilateral filter includes Kikuchi algorithm and loopy belief propagation to solve the inference issues on the basis of passing local message. In this research work, the images were collected from KODAK dataset and a few real time multimedia images like Lena were also used for testing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. - link
A STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 - SARS-Cov-2 virus causes an infectious disease coronavirus(COVID-19).The Students life is made harder by COVID-19.The human reaction that happens normally to everyone through physical or emotional tension is stress. Feeling of angry, nervous and frustration caused through any thought or events leads to stress. As college closures and cancelled events, students are missing out on some of the biggest moments of their young lives as well as everyday moments like chatting with friend, participating in class and cultural programme. For students facing life changes due to the outbreak are feeling anxious, isolated and disappointed which lead them to feel all alone. We like to take the help of expert adolescent psychologist to find out the techniques to practice self-care and look after their mental health. We would like to find out whether techniques used reduce the anxiety and stress among Engineering Students. - link
A METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS WITH PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE - - link
A CENTRAL TRANSACTION AUTHENTIC SYSTEM FOR OTP VERIFICATION - The present invention relates to a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification. The system (100) comprises one or more user display units (102), one or more financial units (104), an account deposit unit (106), an OTP authentication unit (108) and a service server unit (110). The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification work as Anti-money laundering measure. The system (100) also helpful for minimizing rate of cybercrime. The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can neutralize digital financial fraud. The present invention provides a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can monitor and analyze every transaction and customer interaction across its customer base for suspicious and potentially criminal activity. - link
FORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAP - ABSTRACTFORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAPThe present invention provides formulations for herbal medicated transparent soaps and method of preparation of the same. Transparent soaps are prepared by saponification of mixture of non-edible oils to get the desired consistency and cleaning action. Nonvolatile alcohols and other transparency promoters are used to get good transparency and binding properties. Herbal extracts of different herbs are added to get medicated properties. - link
SOCIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR MOBILE ROBOTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY - The emergency department (ED) is a safety-critical environment in which healthcare workers (HCWs) are overburdened, overworked, and have limited resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way to address this problem is to explore the use of robots that can support clinical teams, e.g., to deliver materials or restock supplies. However, due to EDs being overcrowded, and the cognitive overload HCWs experience, robots need to understand various levels of patient acuity so they avoid disrupting care delivery. In this invention, we introduce the Safety-Critical Deep Q-Network (SafeDQN) system, a new acuity-aware navigation system for mobile robots. SafeDQN is based on two insights about care in EDs: high-acuity patients tend to have more HCWs in attendance and those HCWs tend to move more quickly. We compared SafeDQN to three classic navigation methods, and show that it generates the safest, quickest path for mobile robots when navigating in a simulated ED environment. We hope this work encourages future exploration of social robots that work in safety-critical, human-centered environments, and ultimately help to improve patient outcomes and save lives. Figure 1. - link
一种全人源抗新冠病毒广谱中和抗体ZW2G10及应用 - 本发明公开了一种抗SARS‑CoV‑2的全人源单克隆抗体ZW2G10，所述抗体具有独特的CDR分区，其抗原识别表位位于S1蛋白的RBD区。所述抗体中和新冠病毒野生型、Alpha、Beta、Gamma、Delta和Omicron变异株假病毒的EC50分别是14.19、14.12、18.41、15.59、36.18、19.26ng/mL。ZW2G10对目前的主要变异株具有广谱高效中和活性。本发明公开的单克隆抗体还具有高表达、全人源、稳定性好的特点，适合产业化生产，对于应对新冠变异株导致的爆发流行具有重大应用价值。 - link
一种抗新冠病毒全人源广谱中和抗体ZWC12及应用 - 本发明公开了一种抗SARS‑CoV‑2的全人源单克隆抗体ZWC12，所述抗体具有独特的CDR分区，其抗原识别表位位于S1蛋白的RBD区。所述抗体中和新冠病毒野生型、Alpha、Beta、Gamma、Delta、Omicron变异株假病毒的EC50分别是1.041、0.124、0.162、0.136、0.411、0.093μg/mL，该抗体对目前主要变异株具有广谱高效中和活性。所述抗体还具有高表达、全人源、稳定性好的特点，适合产业化生产，对于应对新冠变异株导致的爆发流行具有重要应用价值。 - link
基于SARS-CoV-2的S蛋白的疫苗和组合物 - 本公开提供了基于SARS‑CoV‑2的S蛋白的疫苗和组合物，并具体涉及重组SARS‑CoV‑2刺突蛋白(S蛋白)及编码其的mRNA和DNA。本公开还涉及包含编码重组S蛋白的DNA序列的重组质粒。本公开的重组质粒经转录得到mRNA，其包含选自SEQ ID NO.14‑16中任一项所示的序列。本公开进一步涉及包含前述mRNA的mRNA‑载体颗粒例如脂质纳米颗粒(LNP)和组合物例如疫苗组合物。 - link
A MACHINE LEARNING BASED SYSTEM FOR DETECTING OMICRON VARIANT FROM A GENOME SEQUENCE AND METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a machine learning based system for detecting omicron variant from a genome sequence and method thereof. The system includes, but not limited to, a processing unit having a memory unit and a machine learning interface embedded on it for validating a variant-induced changes in the one or more condition-specific cell variables are combined to output a single numerical variant score for each of the one or more variants, the variant score computed by one of outputting the score for a fixed condition; summing the variant-induced changes across conditions; computing the maximum of the absolute variant-induced changes across conditions. - link