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Background. Few studies focus on 'preclinical' warning signs associated with mortality. In this article, we investigate associations between all-cause mortality and two clusters of biological risk factors: (i) standard clinical measures related to cardiovascular disease and metabolic function; and (ii) nonclinical measures pertaining to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, sympathetic nervous system activity, and inflammatory response. Methods. Data come from the 2000 Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study, a national sample of Taiwanese persons aged 54 years or older; 1497 persons were interviewed in their homes, and 1023 participated in a hospital examination. The analysis is based on 927 respondents with complete information. Logistic regression models describe the association between biomarkers and the 3-year probability of dying. Results. Although both groups of biomarkers are significantly associated with mortality, the model with neuroendocrine and immune biomarkers has better explanatory and discriminatory power than the one with clinical measures. The association between these nonclinical measures and mortality remains strong after adjustment for the clinical markers, suggesting that the physiological effects of the nonclinical biomarkers are broader than those captured by the cardiovascular and metabolic system measures included here. Conclusions. Nonclinical markers are likely to provide warning signs of deteriorating health and function beyond what can be learned from conventional markers. Our findings are consistent with those of recent studies that (i) demonstrate the importance of neuroendocrine and immune system markers for survival, and (ii) indicate that standard clinical variables are less predictive of mortality in older than in younger populations.

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, can have deleterious consequences for physical and psychological health. In this study, we investigate variability in resilience to depressive symptoms in the aftermath of a massive earthquake that struck Taiwan in 1999. We analyze data on 1160 older individuals from a national, longitudinal survey with interviews before and after the earthquake. This survey contains extensive information on physical and cognitive function, depressive symptoms, socio-demographic characteristics and earthquake-related exposure and experiences. We estimate regression models to identify risk factors associated with he presence of depressive symptoms after the disaster, controlling for health status and the presence of depressive symptoms beforehand. We pay special attention to how socio-demographic factors moderate the psychological impact of the earthquake. Results indicate that persons of low socioeconomic status (SES), socially isolated individuals, and women reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than their respective counterparts, as did persons who experienced damage to their homes. The psychological effects of damage were strongest among those aged 54-70. The findings suggest that people who experience damage to their home during a disaster are at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms, with the elderly being more resilient than the near-elderly. Keywords: Earthquake; Depressive symptoms; Taiwan; Socioeconomic status; Age

In response to the growing demand of photonic systems engineers in industries, this paper proposes a term project that help students gain insight into photonics instrumentation via a grating-based spectrometer. The students are guided through simulations and experiments for the spectral filtering system and then implement the spectrometer using some technical notes and testing kits. They perform experiments and tests to verify and refine their works. A contest is held at the end of the course where the measurement accuracy and repeatability of the proposed systems are evaluated. This project has been used for two semesters, and both the instructors' and the students' feedback are discussed. Index Terms--Photonics education, photonics instrumentation, project-based learning.

Despite the increasing evidence linking aspects of the social environment to a range of health outcomes, important questions remain concerning the precise mechanisms or pathways through which social circumstances exert their influence. Biological pathways are one important area of current research interest. Using data from the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS) in Taiwan, we examined relationships between social environment characteristics and an index of cumulative biological dysregulation ('allostatic load.'' AL) in near elderly (NE) (aged 54-70) and elderly Taiwanese (aged 71+). Longitudinal data on levels of social integration and extent of social support were used to predict cumulative AL at the final survey year. Linear regression analyses revealed that among the NE, presence of a spouse between 1996 and 2000 was associated with lower AL in 2000 among men, but not women. Among the elderly, ties with close friends and/or neighbors were found to be significantly related to lower AL for both men and women. Perceived qualities of these social relationships did not show consistent associations with AL. This relatively modest set of significant relationships stands in contrast to somewhat stronger patterns of findings from studies in Western societies. Cross-cultural differences between Western societies and an East Asian society such as Taiwan raise the intriguing possibility that contextual, normative influences on social experience affect the patterns of association between features of these social worlds and the physiological substrates of health. Keywords: Allostatic load; Social relationships; Social support; Taiwan

We investigate how biological markers of individual responses to stressful experiences are associated with profiles of physical and mental functioning in a national sample of middle-aged and elderly Taiwanese. Data come from a population-based sample of middle-aged and elderly Taiwanese in 2000. The data combine rich biological measures with self-reported information on physical and mental health. Grade of membership methods are used to summarize functional status, and multinomial logit models provide information on the association between biological measures and function. The analysis identifies significant associations between biomarkers of stressful experience and profiles of physical and mental functioning. The estimates reveal the potential importance for health of both low and high values of biological parameters. The findings point to directions for future research regarding development of aggregate measures of cumulative dysregulation across multiple physiological systems.