What does an African ethic of social cohesion entail for social distancing?

The most prominent strand of moral thought in the African philosophical tradition is relational and cohesive, roughly demanding that we enter into community with each other. Familiar is the view that being a real person means sharing a way of life with others, perhaps even in their fate. What does such a communal ethic prescribe for the coronavirus pandemic? Might it forbid one from social distancing, at least away from intimates? Or would it entail that social distancing is wrong to some degree, although morally permissible on balance? Or could it mean that social distancing is not wrong to any degree and could, under certain circumstances, be the right way to commune? In this article, I defend the latter view. I argue that, given an independently attractive understanding of how to value communal relationship, distancing oneself from others when necessary to protect them from serious incapacitation or harm can come at no cost to right action. However, I also discuss cases in which social distancing would evince a lack of good character, despite being the right thing to do.     

有关SARS病原冠状病毒合并感染组织胞浆菌的探讨

目的探讨SARS病原学的冠状病毒复合组织胞浆菌感染的问题。方法对象为SARS患者尸检1例和南猴(某猴场病死猴)尸检1例,采用病理组织学和免疫组化荧光检测的方法作检查,观察和比较两者尸检材料肺、脾、淋巴结和肝的病理变化和组织内组织胞浆菌的存在。结果1.人SARS和南猴的病理组织学改变极为相似。2.免疫组化结果表明,用人SARS恢复期血清和兔抗组织胞浆菌血清与组织胞浆菌抗原均呈阳性反应,显示此例SARS患者曾感染组织胞浆菌,其次用此两种抗血清分别与人SARS和南猴肺、脾、淋巴结尸检材料反应,均有组织胞浆菌阳性菌体的存在,说明人SARS和南猴脏器均有组织胞浆菌的感染。结论人SARS病原除冠状病毒外,还有组织胞浆菌的合并感染。     

SARS-CoV核衣壳蛋白的表达与免疫研究

依据GenBank中SARS基因组序列,采用人工合成的方法合成编码SARS病毒N蛋白的全基因(1296bp)序 列,再与设计的CTL特异性表位基因(195bp)重组后,克隆到pET-28a( )质粒中,重组质粒转化到大肠杆菌BL21 (DE3)中诱导表达。利用SARS患者恢复期阳性血清,鉴定表达蛋白。进一步纯化后免疫马,并用ELISA方法检 测血清抗体效价。结果显示SDS-PAGE表明所表达的蛋白相对分子质量约为55000 Da,与预计大小相符;Western blot显示表达的蛋白具有良好的抗原性和特异性。对表达蛋白形成的包涵体进行洗涤,得到的蛋白纯度可达到 70．1％。切胶纯化免疫马后,获得的抗SARS抗体滴度达1:2560。为亚单位疫苗研制和精制抗SARS抗体免疫制 剂提供基础。     

SARS冠状病毒囊膜E蛋白的重组表达与单克隆抗体制备

从基因库中调取SARS冠状病毒囊膜E蛋白基因序列,用连接PCR方法合成完整片段。测序确认后与人免疫球蛋白（IgG）序列Fc段连接并克隆至原核表达载体pPRO EX Hta中。从SDS—PAGE凝胶中回收表达产物后免疫BALB／c小鼠,经融合、筛选制备特异性单克隆抗体（mAb）。连接PCR扩增出231bp的DNA,测序结果与GenBank公布的序列一致,与人IgG序列Fc段基因连接后克隆至原核表达载体,在大肠杆菌中获得较好表达。表达产物经SDS—PAGE后,在相对分子质量（Mr）约37000处可见1条明显的诱导表达条带。Western印迹的结果表明,该电泳带与SARS患者的恢复期血清呈特异性免疫反应,,从SDS—PAGE凝胶中回收表达产物并免疫BALB／c小鼠,制备出2株抗E蛋白的mAb。这些mAb与SDS—PAGE凝胶上Mr约为37000的蛋白带也呈现很强的免疫反应。所获得的重组表达E蛋白及特异性mAb为进一步建立SARS病毒感染早期诊断的方法奠定了基础。     

95例SARS患者细胞免疫功能抑制的特点及其原因

用ELISA方法测定95例SARS患者急性期、恢复期血清细胞因子水平,用流式细胞仪检测该组患者急性期、恢复期淋巴细胞亚群,并分析细胞因子水平和淋巴细胞亚群变化的关系。结果发现,IL-10和TGF—β在观察期（急性期和恢复期）持续升高,急性期CD4^＋和CD8^＋T细胞显著减少,恢复期患者外周血CD8^＋记忆T细胞减少36．78％。IL-10和TGF-β升高与淋巴细胞变化具有统计学相关。结果提示,SARS病毒感染抑制宿主的细胞免疫功能,引起急性期CD4^＋和CD8^＋T细胞显著降低和恢复期的免疫记忆细胞减少。而IL-10和TGF—β过表达可能在SARS免疫病理中起重要作用。     

SARS康复患者血浆蛋白谱的双向凝胶电泳分析

以蛋白质双向凝胶电泳（2-DE）比较了不同中和抗体效价的SARS康复患者血浆样本（试验组）与正常人单采血浆样本（对照组）蛋白谱的异同。结果显示：对照组9份样本的2-DE 图谱出现蛋白斑点338±24个,试验组9份样本出现蛋白斑点348±45个,二者主要斑点的位置与数量基本一致;对照组中少量蛋白斑点的出现频度不同,且有4个蛋白点群的灰度值存在明显的差异;试验组有6个蛋白点群与对照组出现差异,并在相同区域Ⅲ内有4个蛋白斑点的灰度值出现变化,且灰度值与样本的中和抗体效价呈正相关性。结果表明,试验组与对照组的蛋白谱存在差异,且与SARS病毒中和抗体效价呈现相关性。     

Interaction of a peptide corresponding to the loop domain of the S2 SARS-CoV virus protein with model membranes

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) envelope spike (S) glycoprotein is responsible for the fusion between the membranes of the virus and the target cell. In the case of the S2 domain of protein S, it has been found a highly hydrophobic and interfacial domain flanked by the heptad repeat 1 and 2 regions; significantly, different peptides pertaining to this domain have shown a significant leakage effect and an important plaque formation inhibition, which, similarly to HIV-1 gp41, support the role of this region in the fusion process. Therefore, we have carried out a study of the binding and interaction with model membranes of a peptide corresponding to segment 1073–1095 of the SARS-CoV S glycoprotein, peptide SARS_L in the presence of different membrane model systems, as well as the structural changes taking place in both the lipid and the peptide induced by the binding of the peptide to the membrane. Our results show that SARS_L strongly partitions into phospholipid membranes and organizes differently in lipid environments, displaying membrane activity modulated by the lipid composition of the membrane. These data would support its role in SARS-CoV mediated membrane fusion and suggest that the region where this peptide resides could be involved in the merging of the viral and target cell membranes.     

Evaluation of a non-prime site substituent and warheads combined with a decahydroisoquinolin scaffold as a SARS 3CL protease inhibitor

A non-prime site substituent and warheads combined with a decahydroisoquinolin scaffold was evaluated as a novel inhibitor for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^pro). The decahydroisoquinolin scaffold has been demonstrated to be an effective hydrophobic center to interact with S2 site of SARS 3CL^pro, but the lack of interactions at S3 to S4 site is thought to be a major reason for the moderate inhibitory activity. In this study, the effects of an additional non-prime site substituent on the scaffold as well as effects of several warheads are evaluated. For the introduction of a desired non-prime site substituent, amino functionality was introduced on the decahydroisoquinolin scaffold, and the scaffold was constructed by Pd(II) catalyzed diastereoselective ring formation. The synthesized decahydroisoquinolin inhibitors showed about 2.4 times potent inhibitory activities for SARS 3CL^pro when combined with a non-prime site substituent. The present results indicated not only the expected additional interactions with the SARS 3CL^pro but also the possibility of new inhibitors containing a fused-ring system as a hydrophobic scaffold and a new warhead such as thioacetal.     

冠状病毒PLpro蛋白酶对泛素样分子的DUB活性

SARS冠状病毒基因组中非结构基因nsp3编码的木瓜样蛋白酶 (PLpro) 在病毒基因组复制及逃避宿主天然免疫中发挥重要作用,是研发抗病毒药物的重要靶标．SARS冠状病毒PLpro是一种病毒编码的去泛素化酶 (DUB)．为深入研究SARS冠状病毒 PLpro对泛素样分子 (ubiquitin-like protein,UBL) 的DUB特性,本研究构建缺失 PLpro N末端泛素样结构域 (Ubl) 和下游跨膜结构域 (TM) 的PLpro构建体（constructs）,并构建3种缺失蛋白酶催化活性的突变体,检测PLpro对泛素样分子干扰素刺激基因15 (ISG15)及SUMO-1的作用．实验结果表明,PLpro和PLpro-TM 在细胞内具有很强的去ISG(DeISGylation) 活性;缺失PLpro N末端泛素样结构域(Ubl) 对PLpro 的去ISG15 活性没有影响;对PLpro蛋白酶活性位点C1651 和 H1812 突变后,PLpro-TM的去ISG15活性消失,而对D1826位点突变后不影响此活性．PLpro 不具有去SUMO (DeSUMOylation)活性,而PLpro-TM具有一定的去SUMO活性;PLpro催化活性相关的3个关键氨基酸残基 Cys-His-Asp突变后对去SUMO活性有一定的影响．研究结果提示,SARS PLpro除了具有DUB的活性,还具有体内去ISG活性和去SUMO活性;PLpro蛋白酶活性与其去ISG活性之间有一定相关性;PLpro去SUMO-1 活性具有TM 依赖性．SARS冠状病毒PLpro 对泛素样分子作用特性的研究为阐明病毒逃避宿主天然免疫机制和开发新型抗病毒药物提供重要的理论依据．     

SARS病毒N蛋白的原核重组载体的构建和表达

将SARS病毒N蛋白的基因克隆到原核表达载体 pGEX KG上 ,使其在大肠杆菌DH5α菌株中以与GST蛋白融合的形式表达。采用GluthathionSepharose 4B亲和层析柱对融合蛋白进行纯化 ,并用SDS PAGE和WesternBlot对表达的融合蛋白进行分析鉴定。结果表明 ,本实验成功地构建了高效表达SARS病毒N蛋白的重组表达载体 ,所获得的融合蛋白可以直接用于SARS抗体的检测 ,可用于SARS的早期诊断及SARS疫苗的研究。