A multiplex serological assay for the characterization of IgG immune response to SARS-CoV-2

In the fight against SARS-COV-2, the development of serological assays based on different antigenic domains represent a versatile tool to get a comprehensive picture of the immune response or differentiate infection from vaccination beyond simple diagnosis. Here we use a combination of the Nucleoprotein (NP), the Spike 1 (S1) and Spike 2 (S2) subunits, and the receptor binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of the Spike antigens from the CoViDiag® multiplex IgG assay, to follow the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection over a long time period and depending on disease severity. Using a panel of 209 sera collected from 61 patients up to eight months after infection, we observed that most patients develop an immune response against multiple viral epitope, but anti-S2 antibodies seemed to last longer. For all the tested IgGs, we have found higher responses for hospitalized patients than for non-hospitalized ones. Moreover the combination of the five different IgG responses increased the correlation to the neutralizing antibody titers than if considered individually. Multiplex immunoassays have the potential to improve diagnostic performances, especially for ancient infection or mild form of the disease presenting weaker antibody responses. Also the combined detection of anti-NP and anti-Spike-derived domains can be useful to differentiate vaccination from viral infection and accurately assess the antibody potential to neutralize the virus.

PhenoApp: A mobile tool for plant phenotyping to record field and greenhouse observations

With the ongoing cost decrease of genotyping and sequencing technologies, accurate and fast phenotyping remains the bottleneck in the utilizing of plant genetic resources for breeding and breeding research. Although cost-efficient high-throughput phenotyping platforms are emerging for specific traits and/or species, manual phenotyping is still widely used and is a time- and money-consuming step. Approaches that improve data recording, processing or handling are pivotal steps towards the efficient use of genetic resources and are demanded by the research community. Therefore, we developed PhenoApp, an open-source Android app for tablets and smartphones to facilitate the digital recording of phenotypical data in the field and in greenhouses. It is a versatile tool that offers the possibility to fully customize the descriptors/scales for any possible scenario, also in accordance with international information standards such as MIAPPE (Minimum Information About a Plant Phenotyping Experiment) and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles. Furthermore, PhenoApp enables the use of pre-integrated ready-to-use BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Bundessortenamt und CHemische Industrie) scales for apple, cereals, grapevine, maize, potato, rapeseed and rice. Additional BBCH scales can easily be added. The simple and adaptable structure of input and output files enables an easy data handling by either spreadsheet software or even the integration in the workflow of laboratory information management systems (LIMS). PhenoApp is therefore a decisive contribution to increase efficiency of digital data acquisition in genebank management but also contributes to breeding and breeding research by accelerating the labour intensive and time-consuming acquisition of phenotyping data.

Effects of social value orientation (SVO) and decision mode on controlled information acquisition—A Mouselab perspective

Insights into the processes underlying observed decisions are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of behavior. We investigate how individual social value orientation (SVO) relates to controlled information acquisition and how this relationship may be governed by intuitive versus reflective decision modes. We measure controlled information acquisition with the process tracing tool Mouselab and demonstrate its potential for advancing research on social decision-making. In two experiments, participants worked on two consecutive SVO tasks, in which they allocated points between themselves and others. Information regarding the available distributions of points had to be actively acquired by moving the mouse cursor over corresponding boxes on the screen. We observed a stable relationship between SVO and controlled information acquisition in both experiments: less selfish participants acquired more information and made more other-oriented acquisitions, and this relationship showed up in both an intuitive and a reflective decision mode. However, participants in a reflective decision mode acquired more information, their acquisitions were more strongly other-oriented, and their decisions were more prosocial compared to participants in an intuitive mode. Taken together, our results advance research on SVO by showing that non-selfish individuals invest considerable time and effort to gauge the consequences of their decisions for others, which might underlie the pervasive effects of SVO on many socially relevant behaviors. Moreover, we demonstrate how intuitive versus reflective decision modes can alter controlled information acquisition. Finally, our results illustrate that Mouselab is a simple-to-use and versatile tool for tracing cognitive processes underlying social psychological phenomena.

To Be, or Not to Be Healthy

This chapter, as the starting point of the book, (re)constructs the substantive setting and puzzle of health communication, being a reflection and discussion based on the literature review on fundamentals and practices of health communication and the contributions and implications of informative and persuasive messages and communication practices to health. The literature review results show the essential role that communication has assumed in the context of health, having several positive effects, such as the treatment effectiveness, the improvement of the therapeutic relationship and health literacy, the penetration of certain health issues in the public agenda. It has also highlighted the need to strengthen and rethink, in the name of individual and social well-being, the relationship between health and communication. Particularly, in the therapeutic relationship, the need for the health professional to have adequate communication competences to interact with patients is emphasized. Additionally, the media prove to be a versatile tool in the achievement of health promotion aims.

Multifunctional MOF-based Electrochemiluminescent Nanocubes for an Ultrasensitive Biosensing Strategy of B. Pseudomallei Determination Coupled With 3D Magnetic Walking Nanomachine

Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) can cause melioidosis that is usually fatal. A reliable and rapid detection method is greatly needed for disease surveillance and diagnosis. Herein, an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was constructed for accurate determination of B. pseudomallei coupled with multifunctional Au@Co-MOF@ABEI nanocubes and 3D magnetic walking nanomachine. The synthesized nanocubes could not only immobilize enormous ABEI but exhibit superior peroxidase-like activity to decompose H2O2 to produce plentiful reactive oxygen species (ROSs) that could further react with ABEI, so that the enhanced ECL signals were achieved. Meanwhile, the target-activated walking nanomachine was efficiently driven by Exonuclease III (Exo III) for further improving the sensitivity of the biosensor. As a result, the fabricated ECL biosensor could detect pathogenic gene down to 60.3 aM with a linear range from 100.0 aM to 100.0 pM. Moreover, the biosensing platform successfully achieved the determination of B. pseudomallei down to 9.0 CFU mL−1 in serum samples. This work exhibited an ultrasensitive and specific performance for B. pseudomallei detection, which would become a versatile tool in the early diagnosis and treatment of melioidosis.