Establishment and Corresponding Nursing Measures of Intelligent Health Education Platform for Parkinson's Patients Based on Behavior Change Theory.

Objective: Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that can cause mobility problems as well as mental health, sleep, pain and other health problems. To analyze the establishment of a platform for Parkinson's patients to cooperate with intelligent health education based on behavior change theory and the corresponding nursing measures. Methods: 80 patients with Parkinson's disease in the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from October 2021 to September 2022 were selected and included in the conventional and wisdom education groups according to different health education methods, with 40 patients in each group. The conventional education group carried out routine health education and nursing. Based on routine health education and nursing, the wisdom education group established a smart health education platform based on behavior change theory. It implemented corresponding health education and nursing measures. The knowledge, belief and practice (KAP score), psychological status, self-efficacy [General self-efficacy scale (GSES) score], motor function [Parkinson's disease Uniform Scoring Scale (UPDRS) - III score], daily living ability (Barthel index), sleep quality (PSQI score), quality of life (QOL score), complication rate (pressure sores, constipation, bruises), and education satisfaction of the two groups were compared. Results: The KAP score of the wisdom education group after health education was higher than that of the conventional education group (P < .05); The SAS and SDS scores of the wisdom education group after health education were lower than those of the conventional education group (P < .05); The GSES score of the wisdom education group after health education was higher than that of the conventional education group (P < .05); The UPDRS - III score of the wisdom education group after health education was lower than that of the conventional education group, and the Barthel index was higher than that of the conventional education group, P < .05; The PSQI score of the wisdom education group after health education was lower than that of the conventional education group, and the QOL score was higher than that of the conventional education group, P < .05; The incidence of complications in the wisdom education group was lower than that in the conventional education group (P < .05); The satisfaction of the wisdom education group was higher than that of the conventional education group (P < .05). Conclusion: The establishment of an intelligent health education platform based on behavior change theory for Parkinson's patients and the implementation of corresponding health education and nursing measures can significantly improve the knowledge, belief, practice, and psychological status of patients. This will be helpful for those patients and clinicians. There are also limitations, such as little numbers of patients and no mechanisms.

Effects of specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative assessment strategy on psychological state and quality of life of patients with senile dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative evaluation strategy on the psychological state and quality of life of senile dementia patients. METHODS: 92 senile dementia patients were divided into the control and intervention groups (n = 46 each). Control group was given routine nursing intervention, while intervention group was given specialized nursing intervention based on the quantitative evaluation strategy. Patients' self-care ability, cognitive function, nursing compliance, psychological state, quality of life, and patient satisfaction indexes were measured. RESULTS: After nursing interventions, the self-care ability (71.73 ± 4.31 vs 63.82 ± 3.97 points) and cognitive functions such as orientation (7.96 ± 1.02 vs 6.53 ± 1.15), memory (2.16 ± 0.39 vs 1.69 ± 0.31), visual-spatial copying (3.78 ± 0.53 vs 3.02 ± 0.65), language skills (7.49 ± 1.26 vs 6.05 ± 1.28), and recall ability (2.13 ± 0.26 vs 1.75 ± 0.28) were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (P ˂ 0.05). The patient's compliance in the intervention group (95.65%) was prominently higher than the control group (80.43%) (P < 0.05). Notably, patient's psychological state (anxiety and depression) in the intervention group (47.42 ± 3.12 vs 51.39 ± 3.16, 48.52 ± 2.51 vs 52.83 ± 2.49) was better than the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the quality of life was significantly improved in the intervention group (88.11 ± 1.11 vs 71.52 ± 1.24) compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, patients' satisfaction with nursing services in the intervention group (97.83%) was higher than the control group (78.26%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative evaluation strategy can effectively improve patients' self-care ability, and cognitive function, reduce anxiety and depression and enhance the quality of life, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Cross-Sectional Survey of Clinical Trials of Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Objective: It is important to register clinical trials before their implementation. There is a lack of study to evaluate registered clinical trials of stem cell therapy for heart diseases. Our study used the registration information at ClinicalTrials.gov to provide an overview of the registered trials investigating stem cell therapy for heart diseases. Methods: We searched ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to October 1, 2020 to identify clinical trials evaluating stem cell therapy for heart diseases. These trials were included in a cross-sectional survey and descriptive analysis. The outcomes included start date, completion date, location, status, study results, funding, phase, study design, conditions, interventions, sex, age, and sample size of those trials, as well as conditions, efficacy, safety and samples of the publications. SPSS 24.0 software was used for the statistical analysis. Results: A total of 241 trials were included. The registration applications for most trials originated from the United States, and the research start date ranged from 2001 to 2025. More than half of the trials have been completed, but few trials have published results (15.62%). The funding source for 81.12% of trials was recorded as "other" because the specific funding source was not indicated. There were 226 (93.78%) interventional studies and 15 (6.22%) observational studies; among all 241 studies, only 2.90% were phase 4 trials. Most interventional studies used randomized allocation, parallel assignment, and blinding. Of the observational studies, 6 were cohort studies (40.00%) and 73.33% were prospective. The most common disease was coronary artery disease (57.68%) and 98.34% included both male and female participants. The sample size included fewer than 50 patients in 58.51% of trials, and only 18 trials (7.47%) lasted more than 121 months. The registered details were illogical for nine trials (3.8%) that included 0 subjects and two trials (0.8%) that had a duration of 0 months (0.8%). In term of publications of the trials, most of the publications of the trials showed efficacy and safety in stem cell therapy for heart disease. Conclusion: The clinical trials investigating stem cell therapy for heart diseases registered at ClinicalTrials.gov are mostly interventional studies, and only a few are phase 4 trials. Most trials have a small sample size, and few have a duration of more than 121 months. Most of the completed trials did not publish their results, and some of the registration information was incomplete and illogical.

The Relationship Between Anti-Hypertensive Drugs and Cancer: Anxiety to be Resolved in Urgent.

Hypertension is the prevailing independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. Anti-hypertensive drugs are the common and effective cure for lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension. However, some large-scale clinical studies have pointed out that long-term ingestion of some oral anti-hypertensive drugs was associated with risks of incident cancer and the survival time. In contrast, other studies argue that anti-hypertensive drugs are not related to the occurrence of cancer, even as a complementary therapy of tumor treatment. To resolve the dispute, numerous recent mechanistic studies using animal models have tried to find the causal link between cancer and different anti-hypertensive drugs. However, the results were often contradictory. Such uncertainties have taken a toll on hypertensive patients. In this review, we will summarize advances of longitudinal studies in the association between anti-hypertensive drugs and related tumor risks that have helped to move the field forward from associative to causative conclusions, in hope of providing a reference for more rigorous and evidence-based clinical research on the topic to guide the clinical decision making.

Eating and communication difficulties as mediators of the relationship between tooth loss and functional disability in middle-aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Previous cohort studies have reported the significant association between tooth loss and functional disability in aging adults. This study aimed to examine whether eating and communication difficulties mediate this association. METHODS: Data from wave 7 (2014-2015) to wave 8 (2016-2017) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) were analyzed. Severe tooth loss was defined as "< 20 teeth remaining" at baseline. Eating and communication difficulties were assessed through a questionnaire. Onset of functional disability 2-year later was assessed by activities of daily living (ADL) scale and instrumental ADL (IADL) scale. Baron and Kenny's causal steps and Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) method were used to examine the mediating effect. RESULTS: At baseline, 7,830 participants had no ADL disability and 7,678 participants had no IADL disability. The 2-year cumulative incidence of ADL disability and IADL disability were 7.5 % and 9.0 %, respectively. Severe tooth loss was associated with both incidence of ADL disability (OR = 1.40; 95 % CI = 1.13-1.74) and incidence of IADL disability (OR = 1.24; 95 % CI = 1.01-1.52). The mediating effect of eating difficulty on the association between severe tooth loss and ADL disability was 1.04 (95 % CI: 1.01, 1.06). The mediating effect of communication difficulty on the association between severe tooth loss and IADL disability was 1.05 (95 % CI: 1.02, 1.07). CONCLUSION: Severe tooth loss is associated with incidence of functional disability in middle-aged and older English adults. Eating and communication difficulties play the role as mediators in these associations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This prospective study contributes to elucidating parts of biological mechanism underlying tooth loss and functional disability in middle-aged and older adults. It suggests that oral health strategies aimed to protect teeth may be important in reducing the risk of functional disability.

C-reactive protein mediates the association between leisure-time physical activity and lung function in middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have reported the benefits of physical activity (PA) to lung function in middle-aged and older adults, the biological mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to assess the extent to which C-reactive protein (CRP) mediates the association between leisure-time PA and lung function. METHODS: A population-based sample was recruited from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), Wave 6 (2012-2013). PA was self-reported by questionnaires. CRP was analyzed from peripheral blood. Lung function parameters including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured by using a spirometer. Baron and Kenny's causal steps method and multiple linear regression models based on the Karlson/Holm/Bree (KHB) method were used to assess the mediating effect. RESULTS: Among 6875 participants, 28.4% were classified into low PA, 49.8% into moderate PA, and 21.8% into high PA. Multiple linear regression models suggested that higher PA was associated with lower levels of CRP (ß = - 0.048, P = 0.002 for moderate PA; ß = - 0.108, P < 0.001 for high PA). CRP negatively correlated with FEV1 (ß = - 0.180, P < 0.001) and FVC (ß = - 0.181, P < 0.001). Higher levels of PA were associated with better FEV1 (ß = 0.085, P < 0.001 for moderate PA; ß = 0.150, P < 0.001 for high PA) and FVC (ß = 0.131, P < 0.001 for moderate PA; ß = 0.211, P < 0.001 for high PA). After introducing the CRP into the models, regression coefficients of PA with FEV1 (ß = 0.077, P < 0.001 for moderated PA; ß = 0.130, P < 0.001 for high PA) and FVC (ß = 0.123, P < 0.001 for moderated PA; ß = 0.188, P < 0.001 for high PA) decreased. The indirect effect of high PA on lung function via CRP was significant, with 9.42-12.99% of the total effect being mediated. CONCLUSIONS: The association between PA and lung function is mediated by CRP, suggesting that this association may be partially explained by an inflammation-related biological mechanism. This finding highlights the possible importance of PA in systemic inflammation and lung function, thus, middle-aged and older adults should be encouraged to enhance PA levels.

Cognition Mediates the Relationship Between Sensory Function and Gait Speed in Older Adults: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Gait speed is an important indicator for assessing overall health status. Previous studies have reported the important role of sensory function in gait speed; however, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to examine whether cognition mediates the association of sensory function with gait speed among English older adults. METHODS: Gait speed was assessed by "timed walking test". Hearing was measured by using a hearing screening device. Vision was self-reported. Cognition was assessed by questionnaire. Baron and Kenny's causal steps method and Sobel test were used to examine the mediating effect. RESULTS: Among 4,197 participants aged 60 years and older, 13.5% had poor hearing and 12.6% had poor vision, 2.6% had both poor hearing and poor vision. Multiple linear regression models suggested that poor hearing (ß= - 1.905, p < 0.001), poor vision (ß= - 1.309, p = 0.004), and poor dual sensory function (ß= - 2.442, p = 0.013) was associated with worse cognition. Cognition was correlated with gait speed (ß= 0.004, p < 0.001). Poor hearing (ß= - 0.072, p < 0.001), poor vision (ß= - 0.031, p = 0.029), and poor dual sensory function (ß= - 0.081, p = 0.011) was associated with slower gait speed. After introducing cognition into the models, regression coefficients between sensory function and gait speed decreased (ß= - 0.066, p < 0.001 for hearing; ß= - 0.027, p = 0.054 for vision; ß= - 0.073, p = 0.020 for combined hearing and vision). Sobel test identified the significant mediating effect of cognition on the association between sensory function and gait speed. CONCLUSION: Cognition partially mediates the association between sensory function and gait speed. Efforts to maintain mobility performance in older adults should consider protecting both sensory function and cognition.

Age modify the associations of obesity, physical activity, vision and grip strength with functional mobility in Irish aged 50 and older.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether the associations of obesity, physical activity, vision and grip strength with functional mobility were modified by age. METHODS: Data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (2009-2012) were analyzed and 5001 individuals were included in this study. Mobility was assessed by the timed up and go test (TUG-test). Main exposure variables were obesity, physical activity, visual acuity and grip strength at baseline. Multiple linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations of baseline main exposure variables with 2-year follow-up functional mobility and potential confounders were adjusted. Stratified analyses by age were used to assess the interaction between main exposures and age on functional mobility. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression models identified significant interactions of obesity (P < 0.001), vigorous physical activity (P = 0.001), vision (P < 0.001) and grip strength (P < 0.001) with age on functional mobility. Stratified analyses suggested that the risk effect of obesity on functional mobility was greater in middle-aged group (ß = 0.025, P < 0.001) than in older group (ß = 0.016, P = 0.017). The protective effects of high level of physical activity and grip strength on functional mobility were stronger in older group (ß = -0.023, P = 0.004 for physical activity; ß = -0.002, P < 0.001 for grip strength) than in middle-aged group (ß = -0.012, P = 0.008 for physical activity; ß = -0.0015, P < 0.001 for grip strength). The benefit of better vision on functional mobility was observed in middle-aged group only (ß = -0.032, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Non-obesity, higher level of physical activity, vision and grip strength at baseline were associated with better mobility performance among middle-aged and older Irish. And these associations were modified by age.

A Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Anemometer.

A novel fiber anemometer based on two pairs of fiber gratings is experimentally demonstrated and can simultaneously detect wind speed and wind direction. One pair of gratings, which are separated by 90° in space, is fixed on a small stainless steel pipe driven by a rotating disc for measuring the wind-direction angle. The other pair is composed of a sensing and a matched grating. The frequency of the spectrum-shifted of the sensing grating to overlap with that of the matched grating is employed for determining the wind speed. The errors in the wind-speed and wind-angle measurements are experimentally demonstrated to be less than 1%. The proposed fiber anemometer with a simple and durable structure can be applied in wind-powered electricity generators.