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Dian-Jeng Li,1,2,* Joh-Jong Huang,3,* Su-Ting Hsu,1 Hui-Ching Wu,4 Kuan-Ying Hsieh,1 Guei-Ging Lin,1 Pei-Jhen Wu,1 Chin-Lien Liu,1 Frank Huang-Chih Chou1 1Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Department of Nursing, Meiho University, Pingtung, Taiwan; 3Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; 4Department of Social Work, Taiwan Social Resilience Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Frank Huang-Chih Chou, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan, Psychiatric Hospital, No. 130, Kaisyuan 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung, 802211, Taiwan, Tel +886 7-751-3171 Ext. 2302, Fax +886 7-771-2494, Email f50911.tw@yahoo.com.tw Hui-Ching Wu, Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Tel +886 2-3366-9483, Fax +886 2-2368-0532, Email hchingwu@ntu.edu.twIntroduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an impact on patients with substance use disorder (SUD). We aimed to investigate factors associated with confidence and adherence to governmental policies against COVID-19 (social desirability) among patients with SUD.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2020 to 2021. Patients with SUD and healthy controls were recruited. The severity of sleep disturbance, social desirability, drug dependence, vaccine worries, other psychological burdens and demographic variables were collected through self-administrated questionnaires. Differences between the SUD and control groups were estimated. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify significant relationships between social desirability and other factors.Results: In total, 58 of patients with SUD and 47 healthy controls were recruited. The patients with SUD had a lower level of social desirability and more severe sleep disturbance than the control group. Older age, more severe sleep disturbance, lower level of drug dependence, and lower level of vaccine worries were significantly associated with a higher level of social desirability among the patients with SUD.Conclusion: Our results show the importance of timely interventions for drug dependence and to address vaccine worries in patients with SUD.Keywords: drug dependence, coping strategies, sleep disturbance, vaccine worries, COVID-19

Objectives: COVID-19 has impacted human lifestyles, including sleep quality. For nursing staff, sleep disorders not only impact their health and daily lives but also have implications for patient safety. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological and social aspects of nursing staff and the factors influencing their sleep quality through a two-wave survey., Methods: Nursing staff from a psychiatric hospital in southern Taiwan were recruited in two waves during the COVID-19 epidemic. The level of sleep disturbance and related variables, such as Lo's Healthy and Happy Lifestyle Scale (LHHLS) and Societal Influences Survey Questionnaire (SISQ), were collected through self-report questionnaires. Factors related to the level of sleep disturbance were examined using univariate linear regression and multilevel linear regression., Results: 508 nursing staff members were included in the study, with 254 members in each wave. A significant difference was found between the two waves in the positive thinking of LHHLS and all subscales of SISQ. During the second wave, sleep disturbances were mainly related to self-efficacy, positive thinking, social anxiety, and social desirability. At the fourth wave, sleep disturbances were mainly related to self-efficacy, positive thinking, and social anxiety. However, these effects change when the trend of the epidemic shifts, and other factors are taken into account., Conclusions: This study analyzed the factors related to the sleep quality of nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We preliminarily explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sleep quality of nursing staff. However, determining whether the end of the epidemic has reduced the impact on nursing staff requires further research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: Healthcare workers (HCWs) suffered from a heavy mental health burden during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to explore the differences in sleep disturbance in three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan among HCWs. Moreover, factors associated with sleep disturbances in the third wave were investigated., Methods: This study, with three waves of cross-sectional surveys, recruited first-line and second-line HCWs. The level of sleep disturbance and related demographic variables were collected through self-report questionnaires. Differences in sleep disturbance across the three waves were compared with analysis of variance. Factors associated with the level of sleep disturbance were identified using univariate linear regression and further used for multivariate stepwise and bootstrap linear regression to identify the independent predictors., Results: In total, 711, 560, and 747 HCWs were included in the first, second, and third waves, respectively. For first-line HCWs, sleep disturbance was significantly higher in the third wave than in the first wave. The level of sleep disturbance gradually increased across the three waves for all HCWs. In addition, sleep disturbance was associated with depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, anxiety about COVID-19, vaccine mistrust, and poorer physical and mental health among first-line HCWs. Among second-line HCWs, sleep disturbance was associated with younger age, depression, PTSD symptoms, lower preference for natural immunity, and poorer physical health., Conclusion: The current study identified an increase in sleep disturbance and several predictors among HCWs. Further investigation is warranted to extend the application and generalizability of the current study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a heavily burden on healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. The aim of this study was to compare differences in psychological and social impact between two waves of the pandemic among first- and second-line HCWs in Taiwan. The current study derived data from two cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021. Levels of depression, sleep disturbance, psychological distress, social impact, and demographic variables were collected through self-reported questionnaires. The independent t test was used to compare differences in scores between the first and second wave of the pandemic. Differences between first- and second-line HCWs were also analyzed. A total of 711 HCWs in the first wave and 560 HCWs in the second wave were recruited. For the first- and second-line HCWs, the social impact during the second wave was higher than during the first wave, and they expressed a higher intention to maintain social distancing and were more aware of the pandemic overseas in the second wave. The first-line HCWs had a trend of worse sleep quality during the second wave. In addition, sleep quality was worse in the first-line HCWs than in the second-line HCWs during both waves. The second-line HCWs expressed a greater desire to seek COVID-19-related information than the first-line HCWs during the first wave, and more intended to maintain social distancing during the second wave. Our results show the importance of evaluating the social and mental health burden of HCWs, and especially first-line workers., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Vaccine hesitancy has become a major public health problem among healthcare workers (HCWs) in this coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between societal adaptation and vaccine worries and the mediating effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicators in HCWs. A total of 435 HCWs (327 women and 108 men) were recruited. Their levels of societal adaptation were evaluated using the Societal Influences Survey Questionnaire (SISQ). Their severity and frequency of PTSD symptoms were examined using the Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST). The severity of vaccine worries was assessed using the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale. The relationships among societal adaptation, PTSD, and vaccine worries were examined using structural equation modeling. The severity of societal adaptation was positively associated with both the severity of PTSD and the severity of vaccine worries. In addition, the severity of PTSD indicators was positively associated with the severity of vaccine worries. These results demonstrated that the severity of societal adaptation was related to the severity of vaccine worries, either directly or indirectly. The indirect relationship was mediated by the severity of PTSD. Societal adaptation and PTSD should be taken into consideration by the community of professionals working on vaccine hesitancy. Early detection and intervention of PTSD should be the objectives for programs aiming to lower vaccine hesitancy among HCWs.

Background: The coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is likely to put healthcare professionals across the world in an unprecedented situation. Methods: A total of 683 healthcare workers were recruited in this study. Short form - 12 items (SF-12), Societal Influences Survey Questionnaire (SISQ), and Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST) were used to survey participants. Multiple linear regression and structural equation model (SEM) were used to explore the possible factors to the societal influences and quality of life. Results: After multiple linear regression analysis, female, older, more education years, married, regular intake, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequency had positive association with SISQ. To physical component summary (PCS) of SF-12, chronic illness, sleep score, PTSD frequency, and social distance had negative association, and exercise habits had positive association. A mental component summary (MCS) value of SF-12, age, participate in social activities, and social information had positive association, and PTSD frequency, sleep score, social anxiety, and depression had negative association. Under SEM analysis, PTSD had positive influence on SISQ. Sleep score and MCS value had negative influences on SISQ. PTSD severity, older age, sleep score, smoking, and nursing staff had negative influences on PCS value. Young age, PTSD frequency, sleep score, and depression had negative influences on MCS value. Conclusion: Healthcare team members with severe PTSD symptoms suffered more societal influences. Relative to PTSD severity, PTSD frequency was more important to the quality of life. Members of older age who frequently participate in clubs, volunteers, or charity activities had better mental life quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kao, Hsu, Chou, Chou, Hsieh, Li, Lin, Wu, Chen and Huang.)

The aims of the current study were to identify factors associated with sleep disturbance and Coronavirus disease-19 related psychological distress (CPD), and to develop a conceptual model to verify the mediating effect of CPD on the association between social impact and sleep disturbance. This study recruited patients with schizophrenia. Factors associated with the level of sleep disturbance and CPD were identified using univariate linear regression, and further selected into a stepwise multivariate linear regression model. Using structural equation modeling, a mediation model was developed to test the mediating effect of CPD on the association between social impact and sleep disturbance. After estimating with the stepwise and bootstrap regression, higher levels of CPD were associated with higher levels of social anxiety and subjects without a regular diet. Sleep disturbance was associated with a higher level of social anxiety, a history of psychological trauma, chronic disease, and those who did not smoke. The final model confirmed the mediating effects of CPD; whereas, the direct effect from social impact to sleep disturbance did not reach statistical significance. The current study manifests the crucial role of CPD on the association between social impact and sleep disturbance, and timely intervention for CPD is warranted., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

An analytical formulation, referred to as conjugated Graetz problems, is developed to predict the temperature distribution and Nusselt numbers for the power-law fluid flowing in a double-pass concentric circular heat exchanger under sinusoidal wall fluxes. A new design of inserting an impermeable sheet into a concentric tube, in parallel, to conduct recycling double-pass operations has been studied theoretically in the fully developed region, resulting in substantial improvements in the performance of heat exchanger device. The analytical solution was derived using the complex functions by transforming the boundary value problem into ordinary differential equations with the aid of the Frobenius method. The influences of power-law index and impermeable-sheet position on average Nusselt numbers with various designs and operating parameters are also delineated. The theoretical predictions show that the heat transfer efficiency is considerably improved through operating the double-pass device compared to via a single-pass circular heat exchanger (where an impermeable sheet is not inserted). The economic feasibility of operating double-pass concentric circular heat exchanger for power-law fluids is exemplified by the ratio of the heat-transfer efficiency enhancement and the increment in power consumption. The double-pass effect from increasing the convective heat-transfer coefficient can compensate for the rise in power consumption, which serves as important economic advantage of this design.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can have a negative impact on patients with mood disorders. The aim of this study is to explore the societal influence of COVID-19 and associated impacts on levels of depression, sleep disturbance, and subjective pain among patients with mood disorders. This cross-sectional study recruited inpatients with depression and bipolar disorder. Levels of depression, sleep disturbance, subjective pain, and related demographic variables were collected through self-reported questionnaires. Potential factors associated with levels of depression, sleep disturbance, and subjective pain were identified using univariate linear regression and further entered into a stepwise multivariate linear regression model to identify the independent predictors. A total of 119 participants were included in the analysis, of whom 50.42% had bipolar disorder and 49.58% had unipolar depression. Multivariate analysis showed that a higher level of depression was associated with female subjects, subjects with partners, present history of psychological trauma, and drinking alcohol. Sleep disturbance was associated with subjects with partners and drinking alcohol. A higher level of subjective pain was associated with a higher level of social anxiety and a history of psychological trauma. The current study identified several predictors of psychological burden and subjective pain among inpatients with depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further investigations are warranted to extend the application and generalizability of our results.

We have developed an approach for the measurement of the Effective Focal Length (EFL) and Band-to-Band Registration (BBR) of selected spectral bands of satellite-borne whiskbroom imaging sensors from on-orbit data. Our approach is based on simulating the coarser spatial resolution whiskbroom sensor data with finer spatial resolution Landsat 7 ETM+ or Landsat 8 OLI data using the geolocation (Earth location) information from each sensor, and computing the correlation between the simulated and original data. For each scan of a selected spectral band of the whiskbroom data set, various subsets of the data are examined to find the subset with the highest spatial correlation between the original and simulated data using the nominal geolocation information. Then, for this best subset, the focal length value and the spatial shift are varied to find the values that produce the highest spatial correlation between the original and simulated data. This best focal length value is taken to be the measured instrument EFL and the best spatial shift is taken to be the registration of the whiskbroom data relative to the Landsat data, from which the BBR is inferred. Best results are obtained with cloud-free subsets with contrasting land features. This measurement is repeated over other scans with cloud-free subsets. We demonstrate our approach with on-orbit data from the Aqua and Terra MODIS instruments and SNPP and J1 VIIRS instruments.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument was launched 28 October 2011 onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite. The VIIRS instrument is a whiskbroom system with 22 spectral and thermal bands split between 16 moderate resolution bands (M-bands), five imagery resolution bands (I-bands) and a day-night band. In this study we measure the along-scan and along-track band-to-band registration between the I-bands and M-bands from on-orbit data. This measurement is performed by computing the Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) between shifted image band pairs and finding the amount of shift required (if any) to produce the peak in NMI value. Subpixel accuracy is obtained by utilizing bicubic interpolation. The product of the NMI peak slope and the NMI peak value is shown to be a better criterion for evaluating the quality of the NMI result than just the NMI peak value. Registration shifts are found to be similar to pre-launch measurements and stable (within measurement error) over the instrument's first four years in orbit.

Effects of conventional endurance (CE) exercise and essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation on protein turnover are well described. Protein turnover responses to weighted endurance exercise (i.e., load carriage, LC) and EAA may differ from CE, because the mechanical forces and contractile properties of LC and CE likely differ. This study examined muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and whole-body protein turnover in response to LC and CE, with and without EAA supplementation, using stable isotope amino acid tracer infusions. Forty adults (mean ± SD, 22 ± 4 y, 80 ± 10 kg, VO 2peak 4.0 ± 0.5 L ∙ min(-1)) were randomly assigned to perform 90 min, absolute intensity-matched (2.2 ± 0.1 VO2 L ∙ m(-1)) LC (performed on a treadmill wearing a vest equal to 30% of individual body mass, mean ± SD load carried 24 ± 3 kg) or CE (cycle ergometry performed at the same absolute VO2 as LC) exercise, during which EAA (10 g EAA, 3.6 g leucine) or control (CON, non-nutritive) drinks were consumed. Mixed-muscle and myofibrillar MPS were higher during exercise for LC than CE (mode main effect, P < 0.05), independent of dietary treatment. EAA enhanced mixed-muscle and sarcoplasmic MPS during exercise, regardless of mode (drink main effect, P < 0.05). Mixed-muscle and sarcoplasmic MPS were higher in recovery for LC than CE (mode main effect, P < 0.05). No other differences or interactions (mode x drink) were observed. However, EAA attenuated whole-body protein breakdown, increased amino acid oxidation, and enhanced net protein balance in recovery compared to CON, regardless of exercise mode (P < 0.05). These data show that, although whole-body protein turnover responses to absolute VO2-matched LC and CE are the same, LC elicited a greater muscle protein synthetic response than CE.

Background: Neurological deficits after a stroke are commonly classified according to motor function for clinical decision making regarding discharge and rehabilitation. Participants in clinical stroke studies are also stratified by motor function to avoid a sampling bias., Objective: This post hoc analysis examined a suite of upper limb functional assessment tools to test the hypothesis that motor function of survivors of stroke can be stratified using 2 simple tests of manual dexterity despite the heterogeneity of the population., Methods: The functional ability of the more affected hand and arm was assessed for 67 hemiparetic patients, aged 18 to 83 years (mean ± standard deviation, 59.8 ± 14.0 years), at 1 to 264 months after a stroke (23.6 ± 39.6 months) using the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), upper limb motor Fugl-Meyer Assessment (F-M), Box and Block Test (BBT), grooved pegboard test, and wrist range of motion. We tested the strength of our proposed stratification scheme with a hypothesis-driven hierarchical cluster analysis using standardized raw scores and dichotomous BBT and grooved pegboard test values., Results: The most salient discriminator between low and higher motor function was the ability to move >1 block on the BBT. Within the higher function group, the ability to place all 25 pegs on the grooved pegboard test discriminated between moderate and high motor function. The derived scheme was congruent with clinical observations. The WMFT timed tasks, F-M scores, and range of motion did not discriminate functional groups., Conclusions: Two simple unambiguous and objective tests of gross (BBT) and fine (grooved pegboard test) manual dexterity discriminated 3 groups of motor function ability for a heterogeneous group of patients after stroke., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Sensation is commonly impaired immediately post-stroke but little is known about the long-term changes in cutaneous sensation that have the capacity to adversely impact independence and motor-function. We investigated cutaneous sensory thresholds across the hand in the chronic post-stroke period. Cutaneous sensation was assessed in 42 community-dwelling stroke patients and compared to 36 healthy subjects. Sensation was tested with calibrated monofilaments at 6 sites on the hand that covered the median, ulnar and radial innervation territories and included both glabrous (hairless) and hairy skin. The motor-function of stroke patients was assessed with the Wolf Motor Function Test and the upper-limb motor Fugl-Meyer Assessment. Impaired cutaneous sensation was defined as monofilament thresholds >3 SD above the mean of healthy subjects and good sensation was ≤ 3 SD. Cutaneous sensation was impaired for 33% of patients and was 40-84% worse on the more-affected side compared to healthy subjects depending on the site (p<0.05). When the stroke patient data were pooled cutaneous sensation fell within the healthy range, although ∼ 1/3 of patients were classified with impaired sensation. Classification by motor-function revealed low levels of impaired sensation. The magnitude of sensory loss was only apparent when the sensory-function of stroke patients was classified as good or impaired. Sensation was most impaired on the dorsum of the hand where age-related changes in monofilament thresholds are minimal in healthy subjects. Although patients with both high and low motor-function had poor cutaneous sensation, overall patients with low motor-function had poorer cutaneous sensation than those with higher motor-function, and relationships were found between motor impairments and sensation at the fingertip and palm. These results emphasize the importance of identifying the presence and magnitude of cutaneous sensory impairments in the chronic period after stroke.

High-protein (HP) diets may attenuate bone loss during energy restriction. The objective of the current study was to determine whether HP diets suppress bone turnover and improve bone quality in male rats during food restriction and whether dietary protein source affects this relation. Eighty 12-wk-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to consume 1 of 4 study diets under ad libitum (AL) control or restricted conditions [40% food restriction (FR)]: 1) 10% [normal-protein (NP)] milk protein; 2) 32% (HP) milk protein; 3) 10% (NP) soy protein; or 4) 32% (HP) soy protein. After 16 wk, markers of bone turnover, volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), microarchitecture, strength, and expression of duodenal calcium channels were assessed. FR increased bone turnover and resulted in lower femoral trabecular bone volume (P < 0.05), higher cortical bone surface (P < 0.001), and reduced femur length (P < 0.01), bending moment (P < 0.05), and moment of inertia (P = 0.001) compared with AL. HP intake reduced bone turnover and tended to suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH) (P = 0.06) and increase trabecular vBMD (P < 0.05) compared with NP but did not affect bone strength. Compared with milk, soy suppressed PTH (P < 0.05) and increased cortical vBMD (P < 0.05) and calcium content of the femur (P < 0.01) but did not affect strength variables. During AL conditions, transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 6 was higher for soy than milk (P < 0.05) and HP compared with NP (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that both HP and soy diets suppress PTH, and HP attenuates bone turnover and increases vBMD regardless of FR, although these differences do not affect bone strength. The effects of HP and soy may be due in part to enhanced intestinal calcium transporter expression., (© 2014 American Society for Nutrition.)

CD4(+) regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg cells) play a crucial role in maintaining the normal immune homeostasis. Foxp3, as a key marker for Treg cells, is widely used to identify Treg cells, not only in humans but also in other species, like mouse, porcine, ovine, and bovine. To detect reproducible Treg cells is important for evaluating the state of the immune system, and thus, it is necessary to optimize Foxp3 staining. Here, we present a comparative study of MF23 and FJK-16s clones of anti-mouse Foxp3 antibodies, used in combination with two different fixation/permeabilization buffers. For Foxp3 staining, the fixation/permeabilization buffer and Foxp3 antibody FJK-16s clone from eBioscience were better than those from BD Pharmingen, with the best fluorochrome PE. Moreover, when using the best combination, there was a highly significant positive correlation between CD25(+) T cells and CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells. Therefore, the CD25 marker can be used as an alternative to the Foxp3 antibody. As FJK-16s is also applicable for detecting bovine, porcine, canine, ovine, and equine Foxp3 antibodies, these results will be helpful not only in quantifying the frequencies of mouse Treg cells, but also in accurately detecting Treg cells of the other species mentioned above by multicolor flow cytometry.

Understory vegetation plays a crucial role in carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems; however, it is not clear how understory species affect tree litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics. In this study, we examined the impacts of understory litter on the decomposition and nutrient release of tree litter both in a pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) and a poplar (Populus × xiaozhuanica) plantation in Northeast China. Leaf litter of tree species, and senesced aboveground materials from two dominant understory species, Artemisia scoparia and Setaria viridis in the pine stand and Elymus villifer and A. sieversiana in the poplar stand, were collected. Mass loss and N and P fluxes of single-species litter and three-species mixtures in each of the two forests were quantified. Data from single-species litterbags were used to generate predicted mass loss and N and P fluxes for the mixed-species litterbags. In the mixture from the pine stand, the observed mass loss and N release did not differ from the predicted value, whereas the observed P release was greater than the predicted value. However, the presence of understory litter decelerated the mass loss and did not affect N and P releases from the pine litter. In the poplar stand, litter mixture presented a positive non-additive effect on litter mass loss and P release, but an addition effect on N release. The presence of understory species accelerated only N release of poplar litter. Moreover, the responses of mass loss and N and P releases of understory litter in the mixtures varied with species in both pine and poplar plantations. Our results suggest that the effects of understory species on tree litter decomposition vary with tree species, and also highlight the importance of understory species in litter decomposition and nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems.

Suicide attempts constitute a serious clinical problem. People who have attempted suicide are at an elevated risk for additional suicide attempts, but there is limited evidence regarding the predictors of suicidality of suicide attempters following case management services. In the present study the indicators of suicidality after case management were examined. A total of 1,056 subjects who had recently attempted suicide were recruited from January 1, 2011, to June 30, 2011. The suicide prevention center of Kaohsiung City in Taiwan provided case management services and followed up on suicide attempt cases for 6 months. The salient factors for repeat suicide attempts were estimated using a logistic regression analysis. The results showed that multiple factors, including a "willingness to receive mental health services during a crisis," "social support," "a history of mental disorders," and "a history of suicide," could predict repeat suicide attempts with hazard ratios (0.58, 0.54, 3.84, 1.51) and 95% confidence interval (0.39-0.86, 0.36-0.83, 2.41-6.10, 1.03-2.21). The four factors mentioned above were the most accurate predictors of subsequent suicidality when case management services were utilized after 6 months of follow-up. The findings of our study could help clarify future strategies for suicide prevention., (© 2013 The American Association of Suicidology.)

Background: Suicide attempts constitute a serious clinical problem and have important implications for healthcare resources. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of case management using crisis postcards over a 6-month follow-up period., Method: A randomised controlled trial was conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Prevention of further suicide attempts was compared between two groups with and without the postcard intervention. The intervention group consisted of 373 participants (139 males, 234 females; age: 39.8 ± 14.0 yrs.). The control group consisted of 388 participants (113 males, 275 females; age: 40.0 ± 16.0 yrs.). A survival analysis was used to test the effectiveness of the crisis postcard intervention for the prevention of suicide reattempts. Per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were conducted., Results: The intention-to-treat analysis indicated that the crisis postcard had no effect (hazard ratio = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.56 - 1.29), whereas the per-protocol analysis showed a strong benefit for the crisis postcard (hazard ratio = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.21 - 0.72)., Conclusion: Although the results of the present study indicated that the postcard intervention did not reduce subsequent suicide behaviour, our study provides an alteration to the postcard intervention. Further studies need to be conducted to clarify whether this type of intervention can reduce subsequent suicidal behaviour, with a particular focus on reducing the rate of loss to follow-up.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of autism and intellectual disability and is caused by the silencing of a single gene, fragile X mental retardation 1 (Fmr1). The Fmr1 KO mouse displays phenotypes similar to symptoms in the human condition--including hyperactivity, repetitive behaviors, and seizures--as well as analogous abnormalities in the density of dendritic spines. Here we take a hypothesis-driven, mechanism-based approach to the search for an effective therapy for FXS. We hypothesize that a treatment that rescues the dendritic spine defect in Fmr1 KO mice may also ameliorate autism-like behavioral symptoms. Thus, we targeted a protein that regulates spines through modulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics: p21-activated kinase (PAK). Our results demonstrate that a potent small molecule inhibitor of group I PAKs reverses dendritic spine phenotypes in Fmr1 KO mice. Moreover, this PAK inhibitor--which we call FRAX486--also rescues seizures and behavioral abnormalities such as hyperactivity and repetitive movements, thereby supporting the hypothesis that a drug treatment that reverses the spine abnormalities can also treat neurological and behavioral symptoms. Finally, a single administration of FRAX486 is sufficient to rescue all of these phenotypes in adult Fmr1 KO mice, demonstrating the potential for rapid, postdiagnostic therapy in adults with FXS.

Although a previous suicide attempt constitutes a major risk factor for an eventual completed suicide, few interventions specifically designed to prevent suicide reattempt shave been evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of case management for the prevention of suicide reattempts. A total of 4,765 subjects with a recent suicide attempt referred from medical and non-medical organizations were consecutively recruited from July 2006 to June 2008. The suicide prevention program of Kaohsiung Suicide Prevention Center (KSPC)provided case management and followed up suicide attempt cases for 6 months. Survival analysis showed that the risk of suicide reattempt was significantly lower in the case management group than in the non-contact group throughout a six-month follow-up period (hazard ratio =2.93; 95% CI = 2.47–3.47). The hazard ratio (HR) of the Cox proportional hazard model for sex was 0.77 (95%CI = 0.65–0.91). Case management appears to be effective in preventing suicide reattempts in patients with a recent prior attempt. In addition, case management appeared to be more beneficial in preventing suicide reattempts in male subjects.

The phloem sap of fava bean (Vicia faba) plants utilized by the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum contains three sterols, cholesterol, stigmasterol and sitosterol, in a 2:2:1 ratio. To investigate the nutritional value of these sterols, pea aphids were reared on chemically-defined diets containing each sterol at 0.1, 1 and 10μgml(-1) with a sterol-free diet as control. Larval growth rate and aphid lifespan did not vary significantly across the diets, indicating that sterol reserves can buffer some performance indices against a shortfall in dietary sterol over at least one generation. However, lifetime reproductive output was depressed in aphids on diets containing stigmasterol or no sterol, relative to diets supplemented with cholesterol or sitosterol. The cholesterol density of embryos in teneral adults was significantly higher than in the total body; and the number and biomass of embryos in aphids on diets with stigmasterol and no sterols were reduced relative to diets with cholesterol or sitosterol, indicating that the reproductive output of the pea aphid can be limited by the amount and composition of dietary sterol. In a complementary RNA-seq analysis of pea aphids reared on plants and diets with different sterol contents, 7.6% of the 17,417 detected gene transcripts were differentially expressed. Transcript abundance of genes with annotated function in sterol utilization did not vary significantly among treatments, suggesting that the metabolic response to dietary sterol may be mediated primarily at the level of enzyme function or metabolite concentration., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Symbiotic nitrogen recycling enables animals to thrive on nitrogen-poor diets and environments. It traditionally refers to the utilization of animal waste nitrogen by symbiotic micro-organisms to synthesize essential amino acids (EAAs), which are translocated back to the animal host. We applied metabolic modelling and complementary metabolite profiling to investigate nitrogen recycling in the symbiosis between the pea aphid and the intracellular bacterium Buchnera, which synthesizes EAAs. The results differ from traditional notions of nitrogen recycling in two important respects. First, aphid waste ammonia is recycled predominantly by the host cell (bacteriocyte) and not Buchnera. Host cell recycling is mediated by shared biosynthetic pathways for four EAAs, in which aphid transaminases incorporate ammonia-derived nitrogen into carbon skeletons synthesized by Buchnera to generate EAAs. Second, the ammonia substrate for nitrogen recycling is derived from bacteriocyte metabolism, such that the symbiosis is not a sink for nitrogenous waste from other aphid organs. Host cell-mediated nitrogen recycling may be general among insect symbioses with shared EAA biosynthetic pathways generated by the loss of symbiont genes mediating terminal reactions in EAA synthesis.

A full factorial experiment was conducted to study the effects of understory removal and nitrogen addition (8 g x m(-2)) on the soil NO(3-)-N and NH(4+)-N concentrations, potential net nitrogen mineralization rate (PNM) and nitrification rate (PNN), microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), MBC/MBN, urease and acid phosphomonoesterase activities, and Olsen-P concentration in a Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation in Keerqin Sandy Land during a growth season. Understory removal decreased the soil NH(4+)-N concentration, PNM, MBC, and MBN/MBN significantly, increased the soil Olsen-P concentration, but had little effects on the soil NO(3-)-N concentration, PNN, and urease and acid phosphomonoesterase activities. Nitrogen addition increased the soil NO(3-)-N concentration, PNM and PNN significantly, but had little effects on the other test properties. The interaction between understory removal and nitrogen addition had significant effects on the soil NH(4+)-N concentration, but little effects on the soil NO(3-)-N concentration. However, the soil NO(3-)-N concentration in the plots of understory removal with nitrogen addition was increased by 27%, compared with the plots of nitrogen addition alone, which might lead to the leaching of NO3-. It was suggested that understory vegetation could play an important role in affecting the soil chemical and biological properties in Mongolian pine plantations, and hence, the importance of understory vegetation should not be neglected when the forest management and restoration were implemented.

House fly (Musca domestica) CYP6D1 is a cytochrome P450 involved in metabolism of xenobiotics. CYP6D1 is located on chromosome 1 and its expression is inducible in response to the prototypical P450 inducer phenobarbital (PB) in insecticide susceptible strains. Increased transcription of CYP6D1 confers resistance to permethrin in the LPR strain, and this trait maps to chromosomes 1 and 2. However, the constitutive overexpression of CYP6D1 in LPR is not further increased by PB and the non-responsiveness to PB maps to chromosome 2. It has been suggested that a single factor on chromosome 2 could be responsible for both the constitutive overexpression and lack of PB induction of CYP6D1 in LPR. We examined the PB inducibility of CYP6D1v1 promoter from LPR using dual luciferase reporter assays in Drosophila S2 cells and found the CYP6D1v1 promoter was able to mediate PB induction, similar to the CYP6D1v2 promoter from the insecticide susceptible CS strain. Therefore, variation in promoter sequences of CYP6D1v1 and v2 does not appear responsible for the lack of PB induction of CYP6D1v1 in LPR; this suggests an unidentified trans acting factor is responsible. HR96 has been implicated in having a role in PB induction in Drosophila melanogaster and M. domestica. Therefore, house fly HR96 cDNA was cloned and sequenced to examine if this trans acting factor is responsible for constitutive overexpression of CYP6D1v1 in LPR. Multiple HR96 alleles (v1-v10) were identified, but none were associated with resistance. Expression levels of HR96 were not different between LPR and CS. Thus, HR96 is not the trans acting factor responsible for the constitutive overexpression of CYP6D1 in LPR. The identity of this trans acting factor remains elusive.

Objective: This study tested a structural model and examined the relationships between age, suicidal ideation, and scores on the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-12 (MOS SF-12) in a sample of veterans' home residents., Methods: Of the 266 individuals recruited, 226 completed the questionnaires, resulting in a response rate of 84.9%. Participants completed the BSRS-5, GDS-15, MOS SF-12, and a demographic survey. Analysis of Moment Structures, Version 7.0, was used to test the structural relationships of the model with a structural equation modeling analysis and a maximum likelihood ratio estimation. Patient subitem scores, which ranked their feelings of depression, hostility, and inferiority, were summed to determine their 3-BSRS-subitem sum scores., Results: The measures of model fitness were as follows: goodness-of-fit (χ = 12.03, df = 7, p = 0.1), goodness-of-fit index (0.98), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (0.95), comparative fit index (0.99), parsimony ratio (0.47), and root mean square error of approximation (0.06). All indices suggested that the final model fit the data well. Age was inversely related to physical component summary, which was inversely related to the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score. Mental component summary was inversely related to the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score and the GDS-15. Physical component summary was inversely related to the GDS-15. The 3-BSRS-subitem sum score correlated with suicidal ideation., Conclusions: The data reveal a significant relationship between quality of life and suicidal ideation, which may be affected more by the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score than by the GDS-15. The proposed model has the potential to help healthcare professionals effectively design and implement their suicide prevention programs.

Phenobarbital (PB) is a prototypical inducer for studies of xenobiotic responses in animals. In mammals, the nuclear receptors constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR) have been identified as key transcription factors regulating PB induced transcription of xenobiotic responsive genes. In insects, much less is known about the transcription factors involved in regulating PB induced transcription, although CAR and PXR have a single orthologue hormone receptor-like in 96 (HR96) in Drosophila melanogaster. Using dual luciferase reporter assays in Drosophila Schneider (S2) cells, constructs containing variable lengths of the promoter of the PB inducible cytochrome P450 CYP6D1 were evaluated in the presence and absence of PB. The promoter region between -330 and -280 (relative to the position of transcription start site, +1) was found to be critical for PB induction. Putative binding sites for Drosophila Broad-Complex (BR-C) and deformed (Dfd) were identified within this promoter region using TFsearch. RNA interference (RNAi) treatment of S2 cells in conjunction with CYP6D1 promoter assays showed that suppression of Drosophila HR96 and BR-C transcription in S2 cells resulted in a significant decrease and increase, respectively, of PB induction. Effects of HR96 and BR-C in mediating PB induction were PB specific and PB dependent. This represents new functional evidence that Drosophila HR96 and BR-C can act as an activator and repressor, respectively, in regulating PB induced transcription in insects., (© 2010 The Authors. Insect Molecular Biology © 2010 The Royal Entomological Society.)

IgG subclass levels of sera from 105 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were determined by immunonephelometric assay. Patients were divided into two groups according to clinical activity of the disease: active disease and remission. Forty-five normal controls were also measured. We found a significant increase of IgG1 (p = 0.000), IgG2 (p = 0.000), and IgG3 (p = 0.000) in SLE sera, while IgG4 (p = 0.494) values did not differ significantly from those of controls. When patients were divided according to clinical activity, decrease of IgG3 concentration was observed in the patients in remission. In contrast, the concentrations of IgG1, IgG2, and IgG4 subclass were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Our data suggest that differential increase of IgG subclasses during the course of SLE may be of relevance to the pathogenesis of the disease.

Objectives: The goals of this study are to (1) investigate the prevalence of necessary referral for professional mental health consultation for elderly people who attempted suicide ("suicide-attempted") in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan during 2006-2007, (2) assess whether the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) can be used as an efficient screening instrument for assessing the probability of a second suicide attempt among the elderly, and (3) examine predictors of needing referral among the suicide-attempted., Methods: During the study period, 144 suicide-attempted elderly subjects were enrolled. Demographic data, BSRS-5, SAD PERSONS scale, and Medical Outcome Study Short Form-12 (MOS SF-12) data were collected by a trained semi-professional. The prevalence of necessary referrals for the suicide-attempted elderly was estimated, and the salient factors for their referral were evaluated with logistic regression analysis., Results: A total of 109 participants out of the 144 recruited completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 75.7%. The prevalence of necessary referrals for professional mental health consultation was 33.9% (37/109). The significant predictors of needing referrals were lower scores for MCS (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.83-0.96), family discord (OR = 3.86; 95% CI = 1.17-12.75), and type of interviewee (OR = 4.97; 95% CI = 1.57-15.74)., Conclusion: When the BSRS-5 is used to evaluate the referral of elderly patients who have attempted suicide for a professional mental health consultation, it is best to conduct in-person interviews to ask whether the elderly patient still has any suicidal ideation. In addition, evaluating quality of life and level of family discord may also be crucial for suicide prevention in the elderly., (Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

In the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), sex is usually determined by a dominant factor, M, located on the Y chromosome. However, there are autosomal male (A(M)) populations in which the M factor is located on one or more of the five autosomes (I-V), most commonly on the third chromosome. Herein we report the use of isogenic strains to determine the relative fitness of Y(M) versus III(M) males in three different experiments. First, cages were started with 50% Y(M) and 50% III(M) males, and the frequencies of Y(M) and III(M) males were evaluated across generations. Second, mating competition studies were preformed with these isogenic strains. Third, the relative emergence rates of III(M) versus Y(M) male pupae held at three temperatures for 3 d were examined. All three studies indicate that III(M) males have a greater fitness than Y(M) males. In the cage competition studies, >90% of the males were III(M) after seven generations. III(M) males were more likely to mate than Y(M) males, and a higher percent of III(M) males emerged after being held as pupae at 4, 16, or 28 degrees C for 3 d. The implications of these studies to the distribution of III(M) and Y(M) males in field populations are discussed.

Objective: People exposed to viruses usually do not develop diseases. Viruses cause diseases; however, most of the pathologic effects of these diseases are not caused directly by the viruses but by the side effects of the immune response. It is possible that sequence identity may exist between viruses and humans and may be biologically relevant to the infection of virus. The aim of this study was to find out whether sequence identity exists between viruses and humans., Methods: BLAST searches of virus genome sequences against human genome were performed using the resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)., Results: All the viruses that were compared to humans contain different numbers of short identical regions to the human genome. Each identical region was 20-30 nt and some were found at multiple sites within the human genome., Conclusion: A new role of the virus in the relationship between viruses and humans was taken into account. We assume that viruses have brought their sequence into the human genome in the long past history of human-virus interaction. In the process, viruses play roles as carriers to transfer external sequence information into the human genome., (Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae) is a Chinese herb. Our previous study showed that Gastrodia elata is able to reduce epileptic seizures, oxygen free radicals, microglia activation, and apoptosis in kainic acid (KA)-treated rats. Activator protein 1 (AP-1) is involved in modulating the neuronal plasticity and apoptosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of AP-1 in antiepileptic effect of Gastrodia elata. Gastrodia elata (0.5, 1.0g/kg) or valproic acid (VA, 250mg/kg) was administered orally in Sprague-Dawley rats for 1 week before and 2 weeks after intraperitoneal injection of KA. Protein levels of AP-1 were determined by measuring c-Jun and c-Fos proteins, and the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases activations were determined by measuring the phosphorylations of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus of rat brain using Western blotting. These results indicated that pre-treatment with Gastrodia elata or VA activated JNK signal pathway and c-Jun expression, while post-treatment with Gastrodia elata or VA suppressed both the JNK signaling pathway and the c-Jun expression induced by KA. These findings suggested that Gastrodia elata regulated the AP-1 expression via the JNK signaling pathway in KA-induced epilepsy.

A new method, multiple-wave diffraction anomalous fine structure, combining the x-ray multiple-wave diffraction and diffraction anomalous fine structure techniques, is proposed. The real part of dispersion correction Deltaf' and fine structure chi function can be obtained directly by multiple diffraction analysis without using Kramers-Krönig relations and kinematical fitting of diffracted intensity. Better wave vector sensitivity of the fine structure is expected. The multiple-wave diffraction anomalous fine structure experiment for a GaAs single crystal is reported as an example.

Circadian clock protein PERIOD (PER) is essential for the endogenous clockworks in diverse lineages within Metazoa, but the protein sequences, the clock protein interactions, and the photic responses are variant and different between vertebrate and invertebrate PER homologs. Here we identified the German cockroach PER homologs and found it could bridge the huge phylogenetic gap and make possible a more precise protein sequence comparison between vertebrate and invertebrate PER homologs. Seven blocks of conserved regions (c1-c7) interspersed within PER proteins were defined, and two new significant homologies were found in the upstream portion of c3 region and in the c7 region, respectively. In addition, we found all dipteran insects PER homologs lack the c7 region and its following amino acid residues. Our results not only reveal the homology and divergence, but also imply the constraint and plasticity of divergent PER proteins during the course of evolution. These findings lay a solid foundation for understanding the general and divergent properties of circadian clockworks in diverse lineages within Metazoa.

Four stereoisomers of 6-acetoxy-5-hexadecanolide, a mosquito oviposition attractant pheromone, were bioassayed for their activity on mosquitoes. Only (-)-(5R,6S) isomer was active in attractingCulex quinquefasciatus Say females for oviposition at dosages of 0.5 μg/100 ml water and above with the floating-cap method. The activity of this isomer increased 50-fold when it was applied directly to the water surface. The other three isomers, (+)-(5S,6R), (+)-(5R,6R), and (-)-(5s, 6s), were not active. The active isomer was ovipositionally attractive not only toC. quinquefasciatus but also toC. tarsalis Coquillett; however, it was 100 times more active in the former than in the latter species.Aedes aegypti (L.) andAnopheles quadrimaculatus Say were not attracted to the pheromone, thus suggesting that the pheromone is genus-specific.