Prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundHealthcare workers were at high risk of psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains not well-investigated in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19, with regular epidemic prevention and control embedded in burdened healthcare work. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and potential risk factors of the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen.MethodOur cross-sectional study was conducted among 21- to 64-year-old healthcare workers in December 2021 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, using a simple random sampling strategy. A wide range of socio-demographic characteristics, individual information, and psychological condition of the subjects were extracted. Healthcare workers' psychological conditions were tested with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-10), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and 17-item of Maslach's Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS-17). Data were collected based on these questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the difference between healthcare workers with depressive and anxiety symptoms among different groups. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between focused variables and mental health outcomes.ResultsA total of 245 healthcare workers were enrolled. The proportion of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and their co-occurrence were 34.7, 59.6, and 33.1%, respectively. Logistic regression showed that for the three outcomes, no history of receiving psychological help and self-rated good or higher health were protective factors, whereas more severe insomnia and job burnout were risk factors. Junior or lower job title and higher psychological resilience were related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, while relatively longer working hours and larger work-family conflict were positively associated with the anxiety symptoms. Psychological resilience was inversely associated with the co-occurrence of depressive and anxiety symptoms.ConclusionsOur study revealed a high proportion of psychological problems and proved that several similar factors which were significant during the pandemic were also associated with the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19. These results provide scientific evidence for psychological interventions for healthcare workers

Facilitated Monocyte-Macrophage Uptake and Tissue Distribution of Superparmagnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: We posit that the same mononuclear phagocytes (MP) that serve as target cells and vehicles for a host of microbial infections can be used to improve diagnostics and drug delivery. We also theorize that physical and biological processes such as particle shape, size, coating and opsonization that affect MP clearance of debris and microbes can be harnessed to facilitate uptake of nanoparticles (NP) and tissue delivery. METHODS: Monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were used as vehicles of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) NP and immunoglobulin (IgG) or albumin coated SPIO for studies of uptake and distribution. IgG coated SPIO was synthesized by covalent linkage and uptake into monocytes and MDM investigated related to size, time, temperature, concentration, and coatings. SPIO and IgG SPIO were infused intravenously into naïve mice. T(2) measures using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to monitor tissue distribution in animals. RESULTS: Oxidation of dextran on the SPIO surface generated reactive aldehyde groups and permitted covalent linkage to amino groups of murine and human IgG and F(ab')(2) fragments and for Alexa Fluor(R) 488 hydroxylamine to form a Schiff base. This labile intermediate was immediately reduced with sodium cyanoborohydride in order to stabilize the NP conjugate. Optical density measurements of the oxidized IgG, F(ab')(2), and/or Alexa Fluor(R) 488 SPIO demonstrated approximately 50% coupling yield. IgG-SPIO was found stable at 4 degrees C for a period of 1 month during which size and polydispersity index varied little from 175 nm and 200 nm, respectively. In vitro, NP accumulated readily within monocyte and MDM cytoplasm after IgG-SPIO exposure; whereas, the uptake of native SPIO in monocytes and MDM was 10-fold less. No changes in cell viability were noted for the SPIO-containing monocytes and MDM. Cell morphology was not changed as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Compared to unconjugated SPIO, intravenous injection of IgG-SPIO afforded enhanced and sustained lymphoid tissue distribution over 24 hours as demonstrated by MRI. CONCLUSIONS: Facilitated uptake of coated SPIO in monocytes and MDM was achieved. Uptake was linked to particle size and was time and concentration dependent. The ability of SPIO to be rapidly taken up and distributed into lymphoid tissues also demonstrates feasibility of macrophage-targeted nanoformulations for diagnostic and drug therapy

Depression and Perceived Social Support among Unemployed Youths in China: Investigating the Roles of Emotion-Regulation Difficulties and Self-Efficacy

In recent years, the issue of youth unemployment has begun to emerge in China. Unemployed young people are at high risk of depression and other mental health problems. The present study investigates influential factors related to depression and examines the possible mediating effects of difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy between perceived social support and depressive symptoms among unemployed youths in China. Through community recruitment, 511 unemployed young people from Shanghai participated in this cross-sectional survey. The results demonstrate that the prevalence of probable depression in the sample was 49.3% (95% CI: 45.0–53.7%). Moreover, we found that both the perceived social support and self-efficacy were significant negative predictors of depression, whereas difficulties in emotion regulation were positive predictors of depression. In addition, the analysis results indicate that difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy partially mediate the relationship between perceived social support and depression. Overall, this cross-sectional study reveals that depression and mental health problems among China’s unemployed youths are concerning while identifying emotion-regulation difficulties as a risk factor for these and social support and self-efficacy as protective factors, all of which warrant our attention in preventing and intervening with cases of youth depression

Synthesis and surface modification of magnetic particles for application in biotechnology and biomedicine

Magnetic particles have numerous applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In this paper we reviewed the synthesis, surface modification and some applications of magnetic particles with focus on their synthesis and surface modification. Various methods have been developed for the production of magnetic particles (magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic composite particles). For future application magnetic particles must be modified to obtain stability and surface functional groups. Finally, the application of magnetic particles in magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging are discussed

China Part.

Magnetic particles have numerous applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In this paper we reviewed the synthesis, surface modification and some applications of magnetic particles with focus on their synthesis and surface modification. Various methods have been developed for the production of magnetic particles (magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic composite particles). For future application magnetic particles must be modified to obtain stability and surface functional groups. Finally, the application of magnetic particles in magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging are discussed. (C) 2007 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Magnetic particles have numerous applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In this paper we reviewed the synthesis, surface modification and some applications of magnetic particles with focus on their synthesis and surface modification. Various methods have been developed for the production of magnetic particles (magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic composite particles). For future application magnetic particles must be modified to obtain stability and surface functional groups. Finally, the application of magnetic particles in magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging are discussed. (C) 2007 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Emotional Dysregulation and Time Structure Mediate the Link between Perceived Stress and Insomnia among Unemployed Young People in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

In recent years, the problem of youth unemployment in China has become a great concern. Unemployed young people often find themselves under tremendous stress and vulnerable to sleep problems. The link between perceived stress and insomnia has been widely documented, but the potential mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been thoroughly revealed. The objective of this study was to examine the underlying mechanisms linking perceived stress to insomnia through testing the mediating effects of emotional dysregulation and time structure. Through a multiple-stage convenience sampling, 511 unemployed young people (38.6% women; mean age = 21.51; SD = 2.22) were measured using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), and Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ). Based on the statistical description of the sample, chi-squared tests, bivariate correlation analyses, and mediation analyses were performed. The study indicated that 53.0% (95% CI: 48.7–57.4%) of the participants reported probable insomnia, and both insomnia and perceived stress demonstrated strong associations with emotional dysregulation and time structure, which served as partial mediators between perceived stress and insomnia symptoms according to mediation analyses. Path analysis further revealed that, after controlling for age and gender, emotional dysregulation and time structure accounted for 31.8 and 17.6% of the effect of perceived stress on insomnia, respectively. This study provides empirical support for the association among perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, time structure, and insomnia symptoms. To improve the sleep quality and general wellbeing of unemployed young people, emotional dysregulation and time structure must be taken into consideration

preparationandcharacterizationofnonporoussuperparamagneticmicrosphereswithepoxygroupsbydispersionpolymerization

Non-porous superparamagnetic polymer microspheres with epoxy groups were prepared by dispersion polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in the presence of magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles coated with oleic acid. The polymerization was carried out in the ethanol/water medium using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and 2,2 '-azobisisobutyranitrile (AIBN) as stabilizer and initiator, respectively. The magnetic microspheres obtained were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the magnetic microspheres had an average size of similar to 1 mu m with superpararnagnetic characteristics. The saturation magnetization was found to be 4.5 emu.g(-1). There was abundance of epoxy groups with density of 0.028 mmol-g(-1) in microspheres. The magnetic PGMA microspheres have extensive potential uses in magnetic bioseparation and biotechnology

Growth of Metal Halide Perovskite, from Nanocrystal to Micron-Scale Crystal: A Review

Metal halide perovskite both in the form of nanocrystal and thin films recently emerged as the most promising semiconductor material covering a huge range of potential applications from display technologies to photovoltaics. Colloidal inorganic and organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have received tremendous attention due to their high photoluminescence quantum yields, while large grain perovskite films possess fewer defects, and a long diffusion length providing high-power conversion efficiency in planar devices. In this review, we summarize the different synthesis routes of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals and the recent methodologies to fabricate high-quality micron scale crystals in the form of films for planar photovoltaics. For the colloidal synthesis of halide perovskite NCs, two methods including ligand-assisted reprecipitation and hot injection are mainly applied, and the doping of metal ions in NCs as well as anion exchange reactions are widely used to tune their optical properties. In addition, recent growth methods and underlying mechanism for high-quality micron size crystals are also investigated, which are summarized as solution-process methods (including the anti-solvent method, solvent vapor annealing technology, Ostwald ripening, additive engineering and geometrically-confined lateral crystal growth) and the physical method (vapor-assisted crystal growth)