Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response: Protocol for Process and Content Evaluation of a Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Staffing and resource shortages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased stress levels among health care workers. Many health care workers have reported feeling unable to maintain the quality of care expected within their profession, which, at times, may lead to moral distress and moral injury. Currently, interventions for moral distress and moral injury are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study has the following aims: (1) to characterize and reduce stress and moral distress related to decision-making in morally complex situations using a virtual reality (VR) scenario and a didactic intervention; (2) to identify features contributing to mental health outcomes using wearable, physiological, and self-reported questionnaire data; and (3) to create a personal digital phenotype profile that characterizes stress and moral distress at the individual level. METHODS: This will be a single cohort, pre- and posttest study of 100 nursing professionals in Ontario, Canada. Participants will undergo a VR simulation that requires them to make morally complex decisions related to patient care, which will be administered before and after an educational video on techniques to mitigate distress. During the VR session, participants will complete questionnaires measuring their distress and moral distress, and physiological data (electrocardiogram, electrodermal activity, plethysmography, and respiration) will be collected to assess their stress response. In a subsequent 12-week follow-up period, participants will complete regular assessments measuring clinical outcomes, including distress, moral distress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A wearable device will also be used to collect continuous data for 2 weeks before, throughout, and for 12 weeks after the VR session. A pre-post comparison will be conducted to analyze the effects of the VR intervention, and machine learning will be used to create a personal digital phenotype profile for each participant using the physiological, wearable, and self-reported data. Finally, thematic analysis of post-VR debriefing sessions and exit interviews will examine reoccurring codes and overarching themes expressed across participants' experiences. RESULTS: The study was funded in 2022 and received research ethics board approval in April 2023. The study is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: It is expected that the VR scenario will elicit stress and moral distress. Additionally, the didactic intervention is anticipated to improve understanding of and decrease feelings of stress and moral distress. Models of digital phenotypes developed and integrated with wearables could allow for the prediction of risk and the assessment of treatment responses in individuals experiencing moral distress in real-time and naturalistic contexts. This paradigm could also be used in other populations prone to moral distress and injury, such as military and public safety personnel. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05923398; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05923398. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/54180.

Analysis of the Binding of Analyte-Receptor in a Micro-Fluidic Channel for a Biosensor based on Brownian Motion.

This study experimentally analyses the binding characteristics of analytes mixed in liquid samples flowing along a micro-channel to the receptor fixed on the wall of the micro-channel to provide design tools and data for a microfluidic-based biosensor. The binding or detection characteristics are analyzed experimentally by counting the number of analytes bound to the receptor, with sample analyte concentration, sample flow rate, and the position of the receptor along the micro-channel length as the main variables. A mathematical model is also proposed to predict the number of analytes transported and bound to the receptor based on a probability density function for Brownian motion. The coefficient in the mathematical model is obtained by using a dimensionless mathematical model and the experimental results. The coefficient remains valid for all different conditions of the sample analyte concentration, flow rate, and the position of the receptor, which implies the possibility of deriving a generalized model. Based on the mathematical model derived from mathematical and experimental analysis on the detection characteristics of the microfluidic-based biosensor depending on previously mentioned variables and the height of the micro-channel, this study suggests a design for a microfluidic-based biosensor by predicting the binding efficiency according to the channel height. The results show the binding efficiency increases as the flow rate decreases and as the receptor is placed closer to the sample-injecting inlet, but is unaffected by sample concentration.

Effect of Temperature on the Mechanical Properties and Polymerization Kinetics of Polyamide-6 Composites.

This work reports the preparation of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites via the in situ anionic ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding was used to fabricate polyamide-6/carbon fiber composites at different molding temperatures. As a result, the higher polymerization of ε-caprolactam was observed with the condition at 140 °C for satisfactory impregnation. Regarding molding temperature, the physical properties of polyamide-6/carbon fiber were observed that the bending and impact strengths at 140 °C were higher than those to at other molding temperatures. The polymerization kinetics of polyamide-6 was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry by experimentally acquiring kinetic parameters according to model fitting approaches. Polymerization and crystallization, which occur simultaneously throughout the whole process, were separated using Gaussian and Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions to study polymerization kinetics. The result of the developed model was in good agreement with the experimental data for the presented first order autocatalytic reaction model.

Residue analysis of tebufenozide and indoxacarb in chicken muscle, milk, egg and aquatic animal products using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

We developed an analytical method using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to detect and quantify tebufenozide (TEB) and indoxacarb (IND) residues in animal and aquatic products (chicken muscle, milk, egg, eel, flatfish, and shrimp). The target compounds were extracted using 1% acetic acid (0.1% acetic acid for egg only) in acetonitrile and purified using n-hexane. The analytes were separated on a Gemini-NX C18 column using (a) distilled water with 0.1% formic acid and 5 mm ammonium acetate and (b) methanol with 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase. All six-point matrix-matched calibration curves showed good linearity with coefficients of determination (R2 ) ≥0.9864 over a concentration range of 5-50 µg/kg. Intra- and inter-day accuracy was expressed as the recovery rate at three spiking levels and ranged between 73.22 and 114.93% in all matrices, with a relative standard deviation (RSD, corresponding to precision) ≤13.87%. The limits of quantification (LOQ) of all target analytes ranged from 2 to 20 µg/kg, which were substantially lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) specified by the regulatory agencies of different countries. All samples were collected from different markets in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and tested negative for tebufenozide and indoxacarb residues. These results show that the method developed is robust and may be a promising tool to detect trace levels of the target analytes in animal products.

Characteristic aroma compounds of cooked and fermented soybean (Chungkook-Jang) inoculated with various Bacilli.

BACKGROUND: For selecting Chungkook-jang products with a less undesirable odour, the volatile compounds that affect the overall consumer acceptance of Chungkook-jang products were analysed. The volatile compounds of Chungkook-jang were extracted by using solid phase microextraction and direct solvent extraction and were detected by using gas chromatography-olfactometry. The results were represented as the mean of the log3 flavour dilution factors; principal component analysis was used to determine the effective components. RESULTS: Fifteen and 14 volatile compounds were detected in the extracts using solid phase microextraction and direct solvent extraction, respectively. The Bacillus species 2-M1L, which has the most overall acceptance, might have a nutty initial top note and nutty and cheesy long-lasting note aromas. In correlation analysis between the characteristic aromas and the overall acceptance, trimethyl pyrazine (nutty, pungent), butanoic acid (cheesy, butyric), and methyl pyrazine (burnt, roasted) were positively correlated with overall acceptance. In contrast, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (buttery, fatty) and 2,3-butanediol (chemical, fatty) were negatively correlated with overall acceptance. CONCLUSION: Consumers might prefer Chungkook-jang that has a more nutty and cheesy flavour and a less fatty one.

Spherical Granule Production from Micronized Saltwort (Salicornia herbacea) Powder as Salt Substitute.

The whole saltwort plant (Salicornia herbacea) was micronized to develop the table salt substitute. The micronized powder was mixed with distilled water and made into a spherical granule by using the fluid-bed coater (SGMPDW). The SGMPDW had superior flowability to powder; however, it had low dispersibility. To increase the dispersibility of SGMPDW, the micronized powder was mixed with the solution, which contained various soluble solid contents of saltwort aqueous extract (SAE), and made into a spherical granule (SGMPSAE). The SGMPSAE prepared with the higher percentages of solid content of SAE showed improved dispersibility in water and an increase in salty taste. The SGMPSAE prepared with 10% SAE was shown to possess the best physicochemical properties and its relative saltiness compared to NaCl (0.39). In conclusion, SGMPSAEs can be used as a table salt substitute and a functional food material with enhanced absorptivity and convenience.

Volatile compounds of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer cultured with different cultivation methods.

The volatile compounds of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer analyzed to interpret whether cultivation methods affect volatile compounds. The volatile compounds in Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer cultured with 3 different cultivation methods such as good agricultural practice, organic cultivation method, and general cultivation method were isolated by solid-phase microextraction fiber (polydimethylsiloxane 65 µm) and identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Then, the scattering patterns of volatile compounds compared by principal component analysis. As the results, the 14 volatile compounds were identified from 30 ginseng samples and consisted mainly of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The differences among the different cultivation methods of the samples were obvious from the PC1 and PC2 scatter point plot. As the conclusion, the cultivation methods can affect to produce the volatile component of ginseng root. The organic and good agriculture practice cultivation can increase the ginseng characteristic volatile compounds.

Pinus densiflora leaf essential oil induces apoptosis via ROS generation and activation of caspases in YD-8 human oral cancer cells.

The leaf of Pinus (P.) densiflora, a pine tree widely distributed in Asian countries, has been used as a traditional medicine. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer activity of essential oil, extracted by steam distillation, from the leaf of P. densiflora in YD-8 human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Treatment of YD-8 cells with P. densiflora leaf essential oil (PLEO) at 60 µg/ml for 8 h strongly inhibited proliferation and survival and induced apoptosis. Notably, treatment with PLEO led to generation of ROS, activation of caspase-9, PARP cleavage, down-regulation of Bcl-2, and phosphorylation of ERK-1/2 and JNK-1/2 in YD-8 cells. Treatment with PLEO, however, did not affect the expression of Bax, XIAP and GRP78. Importantly, pharmaco-logical inhibition studies demonstrated that treatment with vitamin E (an anti-oxidant) or z-VAD-fmk (a pan-caspase inhibitor), but not with PD98059 (an ERK-1/2 inhibitor) or SP600125 (a JNK-1/2 inhibitor), strongly suppressed PLEO-induced apoptosis in YD-8 cells and reduction of their survival. Vitamin E treatment further blocked activation of caspase-9 and Bcl-2 down-regulation induced by PLEO. Thus, these results demonstrate firstly that PLEO has anti-proliferative, anti-survival and pro-apoptotic effects on YD-8 cells and the effects are largely due to the ROS-dependent activation of caspases.

Volatile compounds and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils of the needles of Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the volatile compounds and the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of the essential oils of Pinus densiflora needles (EPDN) and Pinus thunbergii needles (EPTN), the volatile compounds of steam-distilled essential oils were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antibacterial activities were analysed by performing disc-agar diffusion assay and determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the essential oils. Antioxidant activities were analysed via radical- and nitrite-scavenging activity assays. RESULTS: The yields of EPDN and EPTN were 0.304% (v/w) and 0.296% (v/w), respectively. In the antibacterial activity assay, the MICs of EPDN and EPTN for Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella flexneri and Proteus vulgaris were < 0.4 mg mL(-1) . In the antioxidant activity assay, the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50) ) of EPDN and EPTN were 120 and 30 µg mL(-1) , respectively. At 1680 µg mL(-1) , both EPDN and EPTN exhibited > 50% nitrite-scavenging activity. CONCLUSION: EPDN can be used as a natural antimicrobial substance.

Production of spherical granule from viscous red ginseng extracts for improving product fluency and preservation and its physicochemical properties.

Viscose red ginseng extracts dried and coated using fluidized bed coater may broaden their application in food processing industry and increasing the consumer acceptance. The operating conditions of fluidized bed coater were optimized for obtaining high yield and uniform spherical granule. The physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics among the concentrates, the fluidized bed dried core particle and the spherical granules of red ginseng extract were compared. The preservative properties of these materials were also analyzed. The predicted maximum yield of spherical granule was 85.42%, at a feeding rate (FR) of 111.04 mL/min, an atomization air pressure (AP) 275.30 kPa, and a product temperature (PT) of 68.53 degrees C. Most of ginsenosides, which were known as functional material, did not show significant changes after granulation, while the flowability and water solubility increased. Also, for a 10-mo storage at 30 degrees C, the spherical granule was the most stable among the materials considered. It can be concluded that the application of fluidized bed coater can be used for making the food product of viscous extracts more valuable.