ABSTRACT
Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is one of the most common analytical platforms for point-of-care testing (POCT), which is capable of large-scale primary screening and home self-testing of infectious diseases. However, the sensitivity of conventional AuNPs-based LFIA is relatively low and more prone to false negatives. Herein, we report a novel LFIA based on gold-core-silver-shell bimetallic nanoparticles (Au4-ATP@Ag NPs) emitting Surface-enhanced Raman scatting (SERS) and Photothermal (PT) effect, named SERS/PT-based dual-modal LFIA (SERS/PT-dmLFIA), for the antigen detection of infectious diseases pathogens, which displayed an excellent performance. For influenza A virus (IAV), influenza B virus (IBV), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) N protein detection, the limit of detections (LoD) with Raman as signal were 31.25, 93.75, and 31.25 pg mL-1 respectively, and the LoDs with temperature difference (∆T) as signal were as low as 15.63, 187.5, and 15.63 pg mL-1 respectively, which were over 4-fold more sensitive than visual-based LFIA. The proposed SERS/PT-dmLFIA was used for detecting virus antigen in pharyngeal swabs and showed ideal coincidence rate of over 95% compared to the commercialized assays. In addition, we explored the development of multiplex SERS/PT-dmLFIA that can detect IAV, IBV, and SARS-CoV-2 antigens simultaneously without cross reactivity. Overall, the SERS/PT-dmLFIA for antigen detection not only exhibits high sensitivity, accuracy and specificity, but also have characteristics of rapidity and simplicity, which holds high potential for rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases in laboratory testing, mass screening, and home self-testing. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
ABSTRACT
Ammonia-nitrogen, a grave environmental concern, is a typical pollutant in deliming process due to the inclusion of ammonium salts as deliming agents in leather manufacture. In order to reduce the emission of ammonianitrogen and improve the biological treatment of mixed tannery wastewater, an ammonium-free deliming method was designed and optimized based on the synergistic effects of aromatic sulfonic acids and sodium dihydrogen phosphate. The results indicated that, the penetrating and buffering performance of the mixtures of p-Hydroxybenzene sulfonic acid (pHBSA) and sodium dihydrogen phosphate (SDHP) at weight ratio of 2:1 was good enough to fulfill the requirement of deliming. The organoleptic and mechanical properties of the crust leather produced by pHBSA-SDHP mixtures deliming were similar with the conventional ammonium sulfate deliming, and the grain pattern was found to be protected against the damage caused by enzymes during bating. The concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen and total nitrogen in pHBSA-SDHP deliming effluent were dramatically cut down by 99% and 94%. It is anticipated that the mixed tannery wastewater could be disposed of more easily by means of adjusting the total organic ratios of C:N:P to their natural ratio by introducing an additional carbon and phosphorus source to the tannery wastewater. This investigation provides an improved method of leather making with significant reduction of ammonia nitrogen emission in deliming operation and fulfills the integral requirements of the modern sustainable leather industry.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously undermined the global banking industry, forcing several major banks around the globe to lay off their employees. As a result, job insecurity has become a rising concern among bank employees. This study examined the influence of job insecurity on job stress and job burnout. The study also examined the moderating effect of hierarchical position, i.e. whether operation workers in comparison to senior workers were more strongly affected by perceptions of job insecurity. Data were collected from 520 bank employees working in 53 bank branches in Thailand. The moderated mediation results of the study revealed that job insecurity had a positive influence on job burnout both directly and indirectly via the mediating role of job stress. Results also indicated that the association between job insecurity and job burnout via the mediating role of stress was stronger among operation workers than senior workers. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed © 2022. ABAC Journal.All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Daoist medicine, a special form of traditional Chinese medicine with distinct Daoist styles, has played an important role in the history of plague control in ancient China. Emerged from the pandemics at the end of the Han Dynasty (146 C.E.-220 C.E.), Daoism, the native Chinese religion, has always had a religious mission to end the spread of plagues;thus, it has actively participated in treating plagues through various techniques of medicine and religion. In the practice of plague treatment for thousands of years, Daoist medicine has developed a special etiology of plague that includes Qi-based theories (Qi is considered to be the force that informs and animates all things in Daoism, thus, plague is also considered to be caused by specific and hazardous Qi.) and worm-based theories, forming a strategy of plague control that includes prevention before an epidemic, active treatment during the epidemic, and recovery after the epidemic;these developed plague prevention methods combine isolation, disinfection, and drug use. Additionally, it is the first to practice a primitive immunoprophylaxis method that uses tissues and secretions of infected persons and animals to infect healthy individuals to gain disease immunity. It has formed a plague treatment method mainly based on drug treatment and ritual treatment, supplemented by acupuncture and physical treatment. It has left behind many effective drugs and prescriptions for plague treatment, some of which have a wide clinical application. Hence, Daoist medicine has made great contributions to plague control in Chinese history. Its strategies, methods, medicines, and prescriptions for plague control still have considerable theoretical and application today, especially in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Background and objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. Preliminary data reported that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might not be found in the semen of patients in the early stages of COVID-19;however, the virus may be seen in the semen in the late, severe stages. To determine the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the male reproductive system. Materials and methods We reviewed the relationship between previously reported infections with mumps virus (MuV), HIV, Zika virus, hepatitis virus B, hepatitis virus C, SARS-CoV, and influenza viruses that could possibly damage the male reproductive system, and then investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 infection could cause any damage to the male reproductive system. Results There were various reports that viruses could impair male reproduction by entering into the testicular cells, inducing inflammation, or both. Regarding SARS-CoV-2, five recent independent studies showed no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 could be found in the semen and testicular tissues, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 would not directly damage the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in the early stages of COVID-19 infection. However, a study found that viral RNA was found in 6 out of 38 patients. Three studies found that there were some changes in the sexual hormone levels. Discussion and conclusion There is a lack of substantial evidence to determine how SARS-CoV-2 affects male reproduction at this moment. Understanding of the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and male infertility requires further research.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore clinical delivery process, diagnosis and outcome of a twin pregnancy woman who was closely contacted with a patient with suspected corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A twin pregnancy women of 37+ 2 gestational weeks who was closely contacted with a patient with suspected COVID-19 and received treatment in Department of Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University on February 19, 2020 was selected as research subject. Retrospective analysis method was used to analyze her general clinical data, epidemiological data, pregnancy outcome, laboratory examinations and imaging examination results of COVID-19. The procedures followed in this study were in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki revised in 2013. Results: Clinical analysis data of this subject were as follows. ①The twin pregnancy with in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, without pregnancy-related complications, and without fever, dry cough or other clinical symptoms. ②Epidemiology data: the husband of this subject was a patient with suspected COVID-19. The subject lived in close contact with her husband and did not take any isolation, disinfection or other protective measures. ③Pregnancy outcomes: after the admission to our hospital, the subject was admitted to a single isolation ward and managed in accordance with the protection standards for COVID-19 suspected patient. The subject delivered a pair of live twins at 37+ 3 gestational weeks by cesarean section, with birth weights of 2 430 g and 2 510 g, respectively. ④Laboratory examinations and imaging examination results of COVID-19: the subject received chest CT examination immediately after delivery, and the results showed that there was no obvious abnormality, and the detections of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid in nasopharynx swab, rectum swab, amniotic fluid and fetal membrane samples all were negative. Conclusions: During the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection, obstetrics department should take strict protection, isolation measures and response strategies to effectively cut off the source of infection and prevent cross-infection among medical staff and non-SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women. And to pregnant women with suspected COVID-19, they should be well protected and quarantined to prevent repeatedly infected. At the same time, their pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum should be strictly managed. Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.