Sociopolitical Factors and Mental Health Following the Turkey-Syria Earthquake.

This survey study evaluates the association between sociopolitical factors and mental health following the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.

Daily routine disruptions and psychiatric symptoms amid COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 0.9 million individuals in 32 countries.

BACKGROUND: There is currently a deficit of knowledge about how to define, quantify, and measure different aspects of daily routine disruptions amid large-scale disasters like COVID-19, and which psychiatric symptoms were more related to the disruptions. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the probable positive associations between daily routine disruptions and mental disorders amid the COVID-19 pandemic and factors that moderated the associations. METHODS: PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, and MEDLINE were systematically searched up to April 2023 (PROSPERO: CRD42023356846). Independent variables included regularity, change in frequency, and change in capability of different daily routines (i.e., physical activity, diet, sleep, social activities, leisure activities, work and studies, home activities, smoking, alcohol, combined multiple routines, unspecified generic routines). Dependent variables included symptoms and/or diagnoses of mental disorders (i.e., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and general psychological distress). RESULTS: Fifty-three eligible studies (51 independent samples, 910,503 respondents) were conducted in five continents. Daily routine disruptions were positively associated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.13, 95% CI = [0.06; 0.20], p < 0.001), anxiety symptoms (r = 0.12, 95% CI = [0.06; 0.17], p < 0.001), and general psychological distress (r = 0.09, 95% CI = [0.02; 0.16], p = 0.02). The routine-symptom associations were significant for physical activity, eating, sleep, and smoking (i.e., type), routines that were defined and assessed on regularity and change in capability (i.e., definition and assessment), and routines that were not internet-based. While the positive associations remained consistent across different sociodemographics, they were stronger in geo-temporal contexts with greater pandemic severity, lower governmental economic support, and when the routine-symptom link was examined prospectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first meta-analytic evidence to show the positive association between daily routine disruptions and symptoms of mental disorders among large populations as COVID-19 dynamically unfolded across different geo-temporal contexts. Our findings highlight the priority of behavioral adjustment for enhancing population mental health in future large-scale disasters like COVID-19.

[Synthetic phenolic compounds perturb lipid metabolism and induce obesogenic effects].

Given continuous development in society and the economy, obesity has become a global epidemic, arousing great concern. In addition to genetic and dietary factors, exposure to environmental chemicals is associated with the occurrence and development of obesity. Current research has indicated that some chemicals with endocrine-disrupting effects can affect lipid metabolism in vivo, causing elevated lipid storage. These chemicals are called "environmental obesogens". Synthetic phenolic compounds (SPCs) are widely used in industrial and daily products, such as plastic products, disinfectants, pesticides, food additives, and so on. The exposure routes of SPCs to the human body may include food and water consumption, direct skin contact, etc. Their unintended exposure could cause harmful effects on human health. As a type of endocrine disruptor, SPCs interfere with adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, exhibiting the characteristics of environmental obesogens. Because SPCs have similar phenolic structures, gathering information on their influences on lipid metabolism would be helpful to understand their structure-related effects. In this review, three commonly used research methods for screening environmental obesogens, including in vitro testing for molecular interactions, cell adipogenic differentiation models, and in vivo studies on lipid metabolism, are summarized, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are compared and discussed. Based on both in vitro and in vivo data, three types of SPCs, including bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues, alkylphenols (APs), and synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs), are systematically discussed in terms of their ability to disrupt adipogenesis and lipid metabolism by focusing on adipose and hepatic tissues, among others. Common findings on the effects of these SPCs on adipocyte differentiation, lipid storage, hepatic lipid accumulation, and liver steatosis are described. The underlying toxicological mechanisms are also discussed from the aspects of nuclear receptor transactivation, inflammation and oxidative stress regulation, intestinal microenvironment alteration, epigenetic modification, and some other signaling pathways. Future research to increase public knowledge on the obesogenic effects of emerging chemicals of concern is encouraged.

Chitosan-Polyethylene Glycol Inspired Polyelectrolyte Complex Hydrogel Templates Favoring NEO-Tissue Formation for Cardiac Tissue Engineering.

Neo-tissue formation and host tissue regeneration determine the success of cardiac tissue engineering where functional hydrogel scaffolds act as cardiac (extracellular matrix) ECM mimic. Translationally, the hydrogel templates promoting neo-cardiac tissue formation are currently limited; however, they are highly demanding in cardiac tissue engineering. The current study focused on the development of a panel of four chitosan-based polyelectrolyte hydrogels as cardiac scaffolds facilitating neo-cardiac tissue formation to promote cardiac regeneration. Chitosan-PEG (CP), gelatin-chitosan-PEG (GCP), hyaluronic acid-chitosan-PEG (HACP), and combined CP (CoCP) polyelectrolyte hydrogels were engineered by solvent casting and assessed for physiochemical, thermal, electrical, biodegradable, mechanical, and biological properties. The CP, GCP, HACP, and CoCP hydrogels exhibited excellent porosity (4.24 ± 0.18, 13.089 ± 1.13, 12.53 ± 1.30 and 15.88 ± 1.10 for CP, GCP, HACP and CoCP, respectively), water profile, mechanical strength, and amphiphilicity suitable for cardiac tissue engineering. The hydrogels were hemocompatible as evident from the negligible hemolysis and RBC aggregation and increased adsorption of plasma albumin. The hydrogels were cytocompatible as evident from the increased viability by MTT (>94% for all the four hydrogels) assay and direct contact assay. Also, the hydrogels supported the adhesion, growth, spreading, and proliferation of H9c2 cells as unveiled by rhodamine staining. The hydrogels promoted neo-tissue formation that was proven using rat and swine myocardial tissue explant culture. Compared to GCP and CoCP, CP and HACP were superior owing to the cell viability, hemocompatibility, and conductance, resulting in the highest degree of cytoskeletal organization and neo-tissue formation. The physiochemical and biological performance of these hydrogels supported neo-cardiac tissue formation. Overall, the CP, GCP, HACP, and CoCP hydrogel systems promise novel translational opportunities in regenerative cardiology.

Savoring mediates the mental health benefits of positive coping processes: A prospective population-based analysis.

Positive coping (e.g., self-efficacy and positive reappraisal) and savoring could bear mental health implications under large-scale disasters such as COVID-19. The integrative affect-regulation framework of psychological resilience proposes that evaluative efforts regulate affect, which then predicts positive short-term consequences and better mental health. This two-wave study was done during the prolonged, intensive COVID-19 control rules in Hong Kong and examined (1) the prospective associations of positive coping processes (i.e., self-efficacy and positive reappraisal) (T1, March-August 2021) with subsequent psychiatric symptoms (T2, September 2021-February 2022) and (2) the mediating effect of T2 savoring in the associations. Path analyses revealed that T1 self-efficacy and positive reappraisal were inversely related to T2 psychiatric symptoms. T2 savoring partially mediated the effect of T1 self-efficacy but fully mediated the effect of T1 positive reappraisal. Self-efficacy could have more sustainable direct positive associations with mental health, whereas the benefit of positive reappraisal might need to be catalyzed by savoring over time. Our study offered concrete illustrations of the conceptual tenets of the affect-regulation framework.

Identifying multilevel predictors of trajectories of psychopathology and resilience among juvenile offenders: A machine learning approach.

Mental ill health is more common among juvenile offenders relative to adolescents in general. Little is known about individual differences in their long-term psychological adaptation and its predictors from multiple aspects of their life. This study aims to identify heterogeneous trajectories of probable psychiatric conditions and their predictors. Participants included 574 juvenile offenders who were first convicted for serious crimes and without detention history. The participants were assessed at 11 timepoints over seven years (2000-2010). Growth mixture modeling revealed the same three trajectories for both probable anxiety and probable depression: stable low trajectory (75.96%; 75.78%), stable high trajectory (15.16%; 10.98%), and recovery (8.89%, 13.24%). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression identified three multilevel predictors for memberships of different trajectories. Risk factors against stable low trajectory lay within personal (e.g., neuroticism), relationship (e.g., parental hostility), and contextual levels (e.g., chaotic neighborhood). Resilience factors for stable low trajectory included strong work orientation and low education level of father. Recovery was predicted by Black race, self-identity, high education level of father, and nonincarcerated sentencing. Our findings suggest that both psychopathology and psychological resilience could be predicted by multiple personal, relationship, and contextual factors in the social ecology of juvenile offenders.

[Comparison of clinical effects of different irrigant solutions combined with different agitation techniques in the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with fistula].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of combination of auxiliary irrigation technology and root canal irrigation solution in the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with fistula, and try to seek a more effective and minimally invasive therapeutic strategy. METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients with fistulous chronic apical periodontitis who were diagnosed in Hefei Stomatological Hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were randomly divided into 6 groups, 25 cases in each group. The 6 groups were as follows, group A: 0.5%NaOCl +ultrasonically activated irrigation; Group B: 1.0%NaOCl+ultrasonically activated irrigation; Group C: 2.0%CHX+ultrasonically activated irrigation; Group D: 0.5%NaOCl+sonic activation; Group E: 1.0%NaOCl+sonic activation; Group F: 2.0%CHX+sonic activation. The fistula healing time, treatment effect and postoperative pain were observed in each group. The data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 software package. RESULTS: In terms of fistula healing, the 10-day fistula healing rate of group E and group F was higher than that of group A and group D，and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05); but there was no significant difference between group E and group F (P＞0.05). The effective rate at 1 month after operation in group A was lower, and the difference was significant (P＜0.05). In terms of postoperative pain, the VAS score of group A was lower than that of group E and group F at all time points, and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with fistula, 1.0% NaOCl or 2.0% CHX combined with ultrasonically activated irrigation or sonic activation obtain a better short-term effect，of which the sonic activation group can also obtain early healing of the fistula, but the incidence of postoperative pain is higher when sonic activation is used.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activities of Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Surfaces In Vitro.

The antimicrobial activities of nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces, such as silver, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and magnesium oxide, have been explored previously in clinical and environmental settings and in consumable food products. However, a lack of consistency in the experimental methods and materials used has culminated in conflicting results, even amongst studies of the same nanostructure types and bacterial species. For researchers who wish to employ nanostructures as an additive or coating in a product design, these conflicting data limit their utilization in clinical settings. To confront this dilemma, in this article, we present four different methods to determine the antimicrobial activities of nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces, and discuss their applicability in different scenarios. Adapting consistent methods is expected to lead to reproducible data that can be compared across studies and implemented for different nanostructure types and microbial species. We introduce two methods to determine the antimicrobial activities of nanoparticles and two methods for the antimicrobial activities of nanostructured surfaces. For nanoparticles, the direct co-culture method can be used to determine the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of nanoparticles, and the direct exposure culture method can be used to assess real-time bacteriostatic versus bactericidal activity resulting from nanoparticle exposure. For nanostructured surfaces, the direct culture method is used to determine the viability of bacteria indirectly and directly in contact with nanostructured surfaces, and the focused-contact exposure method is used to examine antimicrobial activity on a specific area of a nanostructured surface. We discuss key experimental variables to consider for in vitro study design when determining the antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces. All these methods are relatively low cost, employ techniques that are relatively easy to master and repeatable for consistency, and are applicable to a broad range of nanostructure types and microbial species.

A latent profile analysis of subjective exercise experiences among physically vulnerable college students and psychiatric symptoms correlates during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China.

Introduction: Physical activity among college students since the COVID-19 pandemic was well studied; however, subjective exercise experience and the emotional response toward physical exercise received less attention. Methods: The present study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore the latent class of subjective exercise experience among physically vulnerable college students who scored 59 points or less in tests under the National Student Physical Health Standard. Three non-duplicated samples at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were collected in March 2020 (N = 127), March 2021 (N = 118), and November 2021 (N = 206) respectively. Psychometrically validated scales, namely, Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale (SEES), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to measure subjective exercise experience, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Results and discussion: LPA revealed a 3-class solution for the subjective exercise experience of physically unfit students, namely, the "negative experience group" (30.82%), the "fatigue group" (41.91%), and the "positive experience group" (27.27%). Multinomial regression showed that probable anxiety [odds ratio (OR) = 0.12] was associated with the overall negative exercise experience while probable depression (OR = 0.19) was associated with psychological fatigue. Women (OR = 0.496) were more likely to experience overall negative exercise experience, and the outbreak of the COVID- 19 (OR = 2.14) pandemic influenced the psychological distress of the subjective exercise experience compared with the other two phases in the post-COVID- 19 era. Our findings provided significant implications for physical education targeting university students that interventions should be tailored differently for three profiles of the subjective exercise experience.

Effect of Mg Contents on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Cytocompatibility of Degradable Zn-0.5Mn-xMg Alloy.

The effect of magnesium (Mg) content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and cytocompatibility of degradable Zn-0.5Mn-xMg (x = 0.05 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%) alloys was investigated. The microstructure, corrosion products, mechanical properties, and corrosion properties of the three alloys were then thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), and other methods. According to the findings, the grain size of matrix was refined by the addition of Mg, while the size and quantity of Mg2Zn11 phase was increased. The Mg content could significantly improve the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the alloy. Compared with the Zn-0.5Mn alloy, the UTS of Zn-0.5Mn-xMg alloy was increased significantly. Zn-0.5Mn-0.5Mg exhibited the highest UTS (369.6 MPa). The strength of the alloy was influenced by the average grain size, the solid solubility of Mg, and the quantity of Mg2Zn11 phase. The increase in the quantity and size of Mg2Zn11 phase was the main reason for the transition from ductile fracture to cleavage fracture. Moreover, Zn-0.5Mn-0.2Mg alloy showed the best cytocompatibility to L-929 cells.

Internet-based and mobile-based cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Positive adjustment to chronic diseases reduces psychiatric comorbidity and enhances quality of life. Very little is known about the benefit of internet-based and mobile-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IM-CBT) on physical outcomes and its reciprocal interactions with psychiatric outcomes, the active therapeutic elements, and effect moderators among people with major chronic medical conditions. In this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD42022265738), CINAHL of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science are systematically searched up to 1 June 2022, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing IM-CBT against non-CBT control condition(s) among people with chronic disease(s). Primary outcomes include improvements in psychiatric symptoms (depressive, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, general psychological distress) from baseline to post-intervention and follow-ups. Secondary outcomes include improvements in physical distress (physical symptoms, functional impairment, self-rated ill health, objective physiological dysfunction). Among 44 RCTs (5077 patients with seven different chronic diseases), IM-CBT improves depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and general psychological distress at post-intervention and across follow-ups, and improves physical distress and functional impairment at post-intervention. Preliminary evidence suggests that behavioral modification and problem-solving could be necessary components to reduce psychiatric symptoms in IM-CBT, whereas cognitive restructuring, psychoeducation, and mindfulness elements relate to reduced physical distress. IM-CBT shows stronger benefits in chronic pain, cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, relative to other conditions. Changes in psychiatric symptoms and physical distress prospectively predict each other over time. IM-CBT is an effective intervention for comprehensive symptom management among people with chronic diseases.

Measuring everyday adaptation after imprisonment: The post-release living inventory for ex-prisoners (PORLI-ex)

Background: The number of ex-prisoners worldwide has constantly been increasing in recent years. Currently, little is known about post-release daily adaptation, not to mention valid and reliable instruments for post-release daily routines pertinent to mental health. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate a self-report instrument, hereafter referred to as Post Release Living Inventory for Ex-prisoners (PORLI-ex). Methods: Three separate samples of ex-prisoners were recruited to complete an online survey (N=1,277, age range=17–89 years, 53.2% male, 72% white). Results: The final model evidenced acceptable goodness-of-fit and consisted of 45 items on nine dimensions, which loaded on three second-order factors: Consolidation (three dimensions; e.g., Institutional Routines), Replacement (two dimensions; e.g., Maladaptive Behaviors), and Addition (four dimensions; e.g., Socializing with Ex-prisoner Friends) (α=.695–.915). Convergent validity was demonstrated in the positive correlations with IADL, SOLI, MLQ, GSE-6, and MSPSS. Discriminant validity was demonstrated in the weak correlations with the LEC-5 and perceived social and personal cost of punishment. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated in the correlations with psychiatric symptoms and crime-related outcomes and incremental validity in the correlations with these measures independent of the scores on IADL, SOLI, MLQ, GSE-6, and MSPSS. Conclusion: This study calls for more resources on fostering psychological strengths and resilience through regularizing basic daily life experiences on top of traditional interventions for risk management among the ex-prisoners. (AU)

The interrelations between psychological outcome trajectories and resource changes amid large-scale disasters: A growth mixture modeling analysis.

Currently little is known about the interrelations between changes in psychiatric symptoms and changes in resources (personal, social, financial) amid large-scale disasters. This study investigated trajectories of psychiatric symptoms and their relationships with different patterns of changes in personal, social, and financial resources between 2020 and 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A population-representative sample (N = 1333) was recruited to complete self-report instruments at the pandemic's acute phase (February-July 2020, T1), and again at 1-year (March-August 2021, T2) and 1.5-year (September 2021-February 2022, T3) follow-ups. Respondents reported depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-efficacy, perceived social support, and financial capacity. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) identified four trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms: resilience (72.39-74.19%), recovery (8.40-11.93%), delayed distress (7.20-7.35%), and chronic distress (8.33-10.20%). Four patterns were demonstrated in resource changes: persistent high resources (40.89-47.64%), resource gain (12.08-15.60%), resource loss (6.30-10.43%), and persistent low resources (28.73-36.61%). Loss and gain in financial resources characterized chronic distress and resilience, respectively. Loss in personal resources characterized delayed distress, whereas loss or no gain in social resources was related to chronic/delayed distress. Respondents in resilience were also more likely to have persistent high resources while those with delayed/chronic distress were more likely to have persistent low resources. These results provide an initial evidence base for advancing current understanding on trajectories of resilience and psychopathology in the context of resource changes during and after large-scale disasters.

Fabrication and Characterization of Piezoelectric Polymer Composites and Cytocompatibility with Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Piezoelectric materials are promising for biomedical applications because they can provide mechanical or electrical stimulations via converse or direct piezoelectric effects. The stimulations have been proven to be beneficial for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration. Recent reports showed that doping different contents of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) or polyaniline (PANi) into biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) enhanced their piezoelectric response, showing potential for biomedical applications. In this study, we aim to determine the correlation between physiochemical properties and the in vitro cell response to the PHB-based composite scaffolds with rGO or PANi. Specifically, we characterized the surface morphology, wetting behavior, electrochemical impedance, and piezoelectric properties of the composites and controls. The addition of rGO and PANi resulted in decreased fiber diameters and hydrophobicity of PHB. The increased surface energy of PHB after doping nanofillers led to a reduced water contact angle (WCA) from 101.84 ± 2.18° (for PHB) to 88.43 ± 0.83° after the addition of 3 wt % PANi, whereas doping 1 wt % rGO decreased the WCA value to 92.56 ± 2.43°. Meanwhile, doping 0.2 wt % rGO into PHB improved the piezoelectric properties compared to the PHB control and other composites. Adding up to 1 wt % rGO or 3 wt % PANi nanofillers in PHB did not affect the adhesion densities of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the scaffolds. The aspect ratios of attached BMSCs on the composite scaffolds increased compared to the PHB control. The study indicated that the PHB-based composites are promising for potential applications such as regenerative medicine, tissue stimulation, and bio-sensing, which should be further studied.

Carboxymethyl cellulose-alginate interpenetrating hydroxy ethyl methacrylate crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol reinforced hybrid hydrogel templates with improved biological performance for cardiac tissue engineering.

Cardiac tissue engineering is an emerging approach for cardiac regeneration utilizing the inherent healing responses elicited by the surviving heart using biomaterial templates. In this study, we aimed to develop hydrogel scaffolds for cardiac tissue regeneration following myocardial infarction (MI). Two superabsorbent hydrogels, CAHA2A and CAHA2AP, were developed employing interpenetration chemistry. CAHA2A was constituted with alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate, and acrylic acid, where CAHA2AP was prepared by interpenetrated CAHA2A with polyvinyl alcohol. Both hydrogels displayed superior physiochemical characteristics, as determined by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy spectral analysis, differential scanning calorimetry measurements, tensile testing, contact angle, water profiling, dye release, and conductivity. In vitro degradation of the hydrogels displayed acceptable weight composure and pH changes. Both hydrogels were hemocompatible, and biocompatible as evidenced by direct contact and MTT assays. The hydrogels promoted anterograde and retrograde migration as determined by the z-stack analysis using H9c2 cells grown with both gels. Additionally, the coculture of the hydrogels with swine epicardial adipose tissue cells and cardiac fibroblasts resulted in synchronous growth without any toxicity. Also, both hydrogels facilitated the production of extracellular matrix by the H9c2 cells. Overall, the findings support an appreciable in vitro performance of both hydrogels for cardiac tissue engineering applications.

Measuring everyday adaptation after imprisonment: The post-release living inventory for ex-prisoners (PORLI-ex).

Background: The number of ex-prisoners worldwide has constantly been increasing in recent years. Currently, little is known about post-release daily adaptation, not to mention valid and reliable instruments for post-release daily routines pertinent to mental health. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate a self-report instrument, hereafter referred to as Post Release Living Inventory for Ex-prisoners (PORLI-ex). Methods: Three separate samples of ex-prisoners were recruited to complete an online survey (N=1,277, age range=17-89 years, 53.2% male, 72% white). Results: The final model evidenced acceptable goodness-of-fit and consisted of 45 items on nine dimensions, which loaded on three second-order factors: Consolidation (three dimensions; e.g., Institutional Routines), Replacement (two dimensions; e.g., Maladaptive Behaviors), and Addition (four dimensions; e.g., Socializing with Ex-prisoner Friends) (α=.695-.915). Convergent validity was demonstrated in the positive correlations with IADL, SOLI, MLQ, GSE-6, and MSPSS. Discriminant validity was demonstrated in the weak correlations with the LEC-5 and perceived social and personal cost of punishment. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated in the correlations with psychiatric symptoms and crime-related outcomes and incremental validity in the correlations with these measures independent of the scores on IADL, SOLI, MLQ, GSE-6, and MSPSS. Conclusion: This study calls for more resources on fostering psychological strengths and resilience through regularizing basic daily life experiences on top of traditional interventions for risk management among the ex-prisoners.

Investigating the reciprocity between cognition and behavior in adaptation to large-scale disasters.

Cognition and behavior could reciprocally impact each other and together determine mental health amid large-scale disasters such as COVID-19. This study reports a six-month cohort study of a population-representative sample of Hong Kong residents (N = 906) from March-August 2021 (T1) to September 2021-February 2022 (T2). Cross-lagged panel analyses reveal that T1 poor behavioral functioning as indicated by high daily routine disruptions is inversely associated with T2 cognitive adaptation as indicated by self-efficacy and meaning-making but not vice versa. T1 routine disruptions but not cognitive adaptation are positively associated with T2 probable depression/anxiety. The positive link between T1 routine disruptions and T2 probable disorders is mediated by poor cognitive adaptation at T2. The present findings suggest that upholding daily behavioral functioning relative to positive states of mind could have a more pivotal role in mental health amid large-scale disasters. Future studies can test interventions that enhance the sustainment of regular daily routines.

Gold Nanopyramid Arrays for Non-Invasive Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy-Based Gastric Cancer Detection via sEVs.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and lethal types of cancer affecting over one million people, leading to 768,793 deaths globally in 2020 alone. The key for improving the survival rate lies in reliable screening and early diagnosis. Existing techniques including barium-meal gastric photofluorography and upper endoscopy can be costly and time-consuming and are thus impractical for population screening. We look instead for small extracellular vesicles (sEVs, currently also referred as exosomes) sized ⌀ 30-150 nm as a candidate. sEVs have attracted a significantly higher level of attention during the past decade or two because of their potentials in disease diagnoses and therapeutics. Here, we report that the composition information of the collective Raman-active bonds inside sEVs of human donors obtained by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) holds the potential for non-invasive GC detection. SERS was triggered by the substrate of gold nanopyramid arrays we developed previously. A machine learning-based spectral feature analysis algorithm was developed for objectively distinguishing the cancer-derived sEVs from those of the non-cancer sub-population. sEVs from the tissue, blood, and saliva of GC patients and non-GC participants were collected (n = 15 each) and analyzed. The algorithm prediction accuracies were reportedly 90, 85, and 72%. "Leave-a-pair-of-samples out" validation was further performed to test the clinical potential. The area under the curve of each receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96, 0.91, and 0.65 in tissue, blood, and saliva, respectively. In addition, by comparing the SERS fingerprints of individual vesicles, we provided a possible way of tracing the biogenesis pathways of patient-specific sEVs from tissue to blood to saliva. The methodology involved in this study is expected to be amenable for non-invasive detection of diseases other than GC.

Binary Dynamic Logit for Correlated Ordinal: estimation, application and simulation.

We evaluate the estimation performance of the Binary Dynamic Logit model for correlated ordinal variables (BDLCO model), and compare it to GEE and Ordinal Logistic Regression performance in terms of bias and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) via Monte Carlo simulation. Our results indicate that when the proportional-odds assumption does not hold, the proposed BDLCO method is superior to existing models in estimating correlated ordinal data. Moreover, this method is flexible in terms of modeling dependence and allows unequal slopes for each category, and can be used to estimate an apple bloom data set where the proportional-odds assumption is violated. We also provide a function in R to implement BDLCO.

Nanocrystalline Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics for Cranial Window Applications.

Transparent yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics are promising for cranial window applications because of their good mechanical and optical properties as well as biocompatibility. YSZ discs with different yttria concentrations were either processed via current-activated pressure-assisted densification (CAPAD) using commercial nanoparticles or densified via spark plasma sintering (SPS) using pyrolysis-synthesized nanoparticles in-house. This study provided critical results to screen composition, processing, microstructure, and cytocompatibility of transparent YSZ discs for cranial window applications. CAPAD-processed YSZ discs with 6 or 8 mol % yttria (6YSZ and 8YSZ) and SPS-densified YSZ discs with 4 mol % yttria (4YSZ_P) showed 200-350 nm polycrystalline grains containing 20-30 nm crystallite domains. SPS-densified YSZ discs with 8 mol % yttria (8YSZ_P) showed larger polycrystalline grains of 819 ± 155 nm with 29 ± 5 nm crystallite domains. CAPAD-processed YSZ discs with 3 mol % yttria (3YSZ) showed 39 ± 9 nm grains. Bone-marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) on the polished YSZ discs showed statistically higher spreading areas than those on the unpolished YSZ discs of the same compositions. Generally, polished 8YSZ, 4YSZ_P, and 8YSZ_P discs and unpolished 8YSZ_R, 4YSZ_PR, and 8YSZ_PR discs had lower average cell adhesion densities than other YSZ discs under direct contact conditions. Under indirect contact conditions, all the YSZ disc groups showed similar average cell adhesion densities to the Cell-only control. The groups of polished 4YSZ_P and 8YSZ_P discs, unpolished 4YSZ_PR and 8YSZ_PR discs, and particle control of 8YSZ_Pnp showed higher Y3+ ion concentrations than other groups. No mineral deposition was detected on the polished YSZ discs after cell culture. Considering multiple factors such as cytocompatibility, cell adhesion density, Y3+ ion release, mineral deposition, and optical transparency collectively, 8YSZ may be the best candidate for the cranial window applications. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term transparency and biocompatibility of YSZ discs.