Facile and Unplugged Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor with NIR-Emitting Perovskite Nanocomposites for Fast Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted researchers to develop portable biosensing platforms, anticipating to detect the analyte in a label-free, direct, and simple manner, for deploying on site to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. Herein, we developed a facile wavelength-based SPR sensor built with the aid of a 3D printing technology and synthesized air-stable NIR-emitting perovskite nanocomposites as the light source. The simple synthesis processes for the perovskite quantum dots enabled low-cost and large-area production and good emission stability. The integration of the two technologies enabled the proposed SPR sensor to exhibit the characteristics of lightweight, compactness, and being without a plug, just fitting the requirements of on-site detection. Experimentally, the detection limit of the proposed NIR SPR biosensor for refractive index change reached the 10-6 RIU level, comparable with that of state-of-the-art portable SPR sensors. In addition, the bio-applicability of the platform was validated by incorporating a homemade high-affinity polyclonal antibody toward the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The results demonstrated that the proposed system was capable of discriminating between clinical swab samples collected from COVID-19 patients and healthy subjects because the used polyclonal antibody exhibited high specificity against SARS-CoV-2. Most importantly, the whole measurement process not only took less than 15 min but also needed no complex procedures or multiple reagents. We believe that the findings disclosed in this work can open an avenue in the field of on-site detection for highly pathogenic viruses.

Boosting the detection performance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test through a sensitive optical biosensor with new superior antibody.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus emerged in late 2019 leading to the COVID-19 disease pandemic that triggered socioeconomic turmoil worldwide. A precise, prompt, and affordable diagnostic assay is essential for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 as well as its variants. Antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein was reported as a suitable strategy for therapy and diagnosis of COVID-19. We, therefore, developed a quick and precise phase-sensitive surface plasmon resonance (PS-SPR) biosensor integrated with a novel generated anti-S monoclonal antibody (S-mAb). Our results indicated that the newly generated S-mAb could detect the original SARS-CoV-2 strain along with its variants. In addition, a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, which could be processed in BSL-2 facility was generated for evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of the assays including PS-SPR, homemade target-captured ELISA, spike rapid antigen test (SRAT), and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Experimentally, PS-SPR exerted high sensitivity to detect SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus at 589 copies/ml, with 7-fold and 70-fold increase in sensitivity when compared with the two conventional immunoassays, including homemade target-captured ELISA (4 × 103 copies/ml) and SRAT (4 × 104 copies/ml), using the identical antibody. Moreover, the PS-SPR was applied in the measurement of mimic clinical samples containing the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus mixed with nasal mucosa. The detection limit of PS-SPR is calculated to be 1725 copies/ml, which has higher accuracy than homemade target-captured ELISA (4 × 104 copies/ml) and SRAT (4 × 105 copies/ml) and is comparable with qRT-PCR (1250 copies/ml). Finally, the ability of PS-SPR to detect SARS-CoV-2 in real clinical specimens was further demonstrated, and the assay time was less than 10 min. Taken together, our results indicate that this novel S-mAb integrated into PS-SPR biosensor demonstrates high sensitivity and is time-saving in SARS-CoV-2 virus detection. This study suggests that incorporation of a high specific recognizer in SPR biosensor is an alternative strategy that could be applied in developing other emerging or re-emerging pathogenic detection platforms.

The Effectiveness of Mental Health Literacy Curriculum among Undergraduate Public Health Students.

Mental health literacy (MHL) plays an important role in public health. Improving MHL can promote mental health at the individual and public levels. To date, no published studies have assessed the effectiveness of MHL curriculum interventions among undergraduate public health students. The participants in this study were undergraduate public health students (n = 48) who were enrolled in an 18-week MHL curriculum for 100 min per week. MHL was assessed using the Mental Health Literacy Scale for Healthcare Students. A paired sample t-test was performed to examine the immediate and delayed effects of the MHL curriculum. The total MHL score significantly improved, and a moderate effect size was found directly after the intervention and six weeks later. There were significant differences in the recognition of mental illness (p < 0.01), help-seeking efficacy (p < 0.05), and help-seeking attitude (p < 0.05) in the five components of MHL between pre- and post-test. Furthermore, significant improvements were obtained for the maintenance of positive mental health (p < 0.05) and reduction of mental illness stigma (p < 0.001) between the pre-test and follow-up. Our findings provide evidence for the development and implementation of an MHL curriculum for public health education.

A Simple Phase-Sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Simultaneous Polarization Measurement Strategy.

The SPR phenomenon results in an abrupt change in the optical phase such that one can measure the phase shift of the reflected light as a sensing parameter. Moreover, many studies have demonstrated that the phase changes more acutely than the intensity, leading to a higher sensitivity to the refractive index change. However, currently, the optical phase cannot be measured directly because of its high frequency; therefore, investigators usually have to use complicated techniques for the extraction of phase information. In this study, we propose a simple and effective strategy for measuring the SPR phase shift based on phase-shift interferometry. In this system, the polarization-dependent interference signals are recorded simultaneously by a pixelated polarization camera in a single snapshot. Subsequently, the phase information can be effortlessly acquired by a phase extraction algorithm. Experimentally, the proposed phase-sensitive SPR sensor was successfully applied for the detection of small molecules of glyphosate, which is the most frequently used herbicide worldwide. Additionally, the sensor exhibited a detection limit of 15 ng/mL (0.015 ppm). Regarding its simplicity and effectiveness, we believe that our phase-sensitive SPR system presents a prospective method for acquiring phase signals.

Psychological Distress and Sleep Disturbance Among Female Nurses: Anxiety or Depression?

Introduction: Sleep quality is an important issue in nurses' mental and general health. Long-term psychological distress leads to increased sleep disturbances among nurses. However, which forms of psychological distress are most associated with sleep disturbances is unclear among female nurses. Methodology: To determine which psychological distress factors are associated with sleep disturbances among female nurses. A total of 119 female Taiwanese nurses were recruited and surveyed using the Occupational Stress Indicator-2, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: Overall, 68.9% of the nurses were poor sleepers, and 20.2% and 11.7% of them had more than moderate levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. A logistic regression analysis showed that sleep disturbances were associated with higher levels of depression and poorer general health. Discussion: Compared with anxiety, depression more heavily influences sleep disturbances among female nurses. Depression prevention should thus be a focus of mental health promotion for female nurses.

Intergenerational Comparison of Food Parenting of Home Eating Behaviors of Schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To explore intergenerational differences on key factors of food parenting practices (FPPs) related to home eating behavior of schoolchildren. DESIGN: In-depth interviews with social recognition theory-based semistructured interviews conducted from December 2016 to January 2017. PARTICIPANTS: Primary caregivers of elementary schoolchildren from 23 households (16 parents, 14 grandparents) in 4 remote areas of Hualien, Taiwan. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Factors related to FPPs hindering micronutrient-dense food group consumption by schoolchildren in a remote area. SETTING: In-depth interviews were conducted at participants' houses. ANALYSIS: Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was performed to elicit studied phenomenon. RESULTS: Routine family meals provided adequate staple, protein, and vegetables but inadequate whole grains, dairy, fruits, and nuts. More parents provided breakfast composed of pan-fried and semiprocessed products made of refined flour and sugary beverages. Both parents and grandparents had ambiguous nutrition concepts and inconsistent FPPs but in different aspects. They both reflected expectations for assistance from local schools for nutrition and FPPs education to shape up healthy eating behavior of children. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Study findings pinpoint the strength and barriers of FPPs for primary caregivers. Implementing integrated nutrition education programs tailored for empowering nutrition literacy and FPPs is suggested to enhance the healthy eating behavior of schoolchildren in a remote area.

Relationship between heart rate variability and aggressive behavior among patients with schizophrenia hospitalized in acute wards.

PURPOSE: To explore the state of mental treatment, heart rate variability (HRV), level of aggressive behavior, and their relationships among hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study adopted a follow-up design and convenience sampling. Thirty-three subjects completed the questionnaire, and their HRV indices were measured. FINDINGS: Patients' psychiatric symptoms showed a significant downward trend after hospitalization (P = .003). The standard deviation of the normal-to-normal intervals in the morning was significantly correlated with overall aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: HRV can be regularly monitored among inpatients with schizophrenia with a risk of high aggression as an indicator of possible aggressive behavior.

Association of doctor specialty with diabetic patient risk of hospitalization due to diabetic ketoacidosis: a national population-based study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, and its risks can be largely reduced by adequate and high-quality ambulatory diabetic care. The aim of this study is to assess the risk and frequency of developing DKA in relation to the specialty of doctors who provide diabetes cares. METHODS: In searching for possible episodes of hospitalization due to DKA (ICD-9-CM: 250.1), we used a prospective cohort design in which 500,867 diabetic patients identified in the 1997 National Health Insurance (NHI) ambulatory care data set of Taiwan were linked to the 1997-2006 NHI inpatient claims data. The study subjects were categorized into four groups according to doctor specialty. A logistic regression model was used to assess the risk and frequency of DKA admission in relation to doctor's specialty. RESULTS: Compared with the patients routinely cared by endocrinologists, those not consistently cared by endocrinologists had significantly increased odds ratios (ORs) of DKA admission, ranging between 1.51 and 2.12. Moreover, the adjusted OR of the higher DKA admission frequency (≥ 0.133 times/person-year) for the patients not regularly cared by endocrinologists was also significantly increased, between 4.45 and 6.93. CONCLUSIONS: Doctor specialty significantly influenced the risk and frequency of DKA admission in diabetes patients in Taiwan. Local health care administrators and policy makers should therefore consider promoting the quality of diabetes care provided by non-endocrinologists.

Trends in hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients in Taiwan: analysis of national claims data, 1997-2005.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a fatal complication of diabetes, and is strongly related to the quality of diabetes care. This study aimed to establish recent secular trends of incidence density (ID) of DKA in patients with diabetes in Taiwan and to explore the effects of age and sex on the risk of a DKA emergency. METHODS: Using the National Health Insurance claims data, we identified annual diabetic cohorts (around 650,000 diabetic patients annually) from 1997 to 2005, and searched for possible admissions due to DKA emergencies. We performed log-linear regression analysis to assess the trend in ID of DKA and to assess the independent effects of age and sex on the risk of DKA. RESULTS: Although the annual ID of DKA showed a slight but significant declining trend over the study period, from 6/1000 to 5/1000 person-years, the age/sex-specific analysis indicated that female patients aged ≤ 34 years showed a significantly increasing trend. Multivariate analysis revealed that calendar year and sex had significant but small independent effects on risk of DKA admission. In contrast, age was strongly associated with risk of DKA emergency. Compared with patients aged > 65 years, notably high adjusted rate ratios (ARRs) of DKA were observed in patients aged <15 years (ARR = 48.84) and 15-34 years (ARR =15.21). CONCLUSION: Although the overall ID of DKA linearly decreased between 1997 and 2005, significant rising trends were still observed in female diabetic patients aged < 35 years. More aggressive diabetic care programs aimed at young female patients should be considered to reduce this emergency and possibly fatal diabetic complications.