Smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program for family caregivers of older persons with dementia and hip fracture: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore whether a smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program could benefit family caregivers and their care recipients. METHODS: Family caregivers in charge of a care recipient's living situation participated in this convergent parallel, mixed methods study. We recruited older persons with dementia (n = 7) and those discharged following hip-fracture surgery (n = 6) from neurological clinics and surgical wards of a medical center, respectively, along with their family caregivers: three spouses, eight sons, one daughter, and one daughter-in-law. Care recipients were asked to wear a smart vest at least 4 days/week for 6 months, which contained a coin-size monitor hidden in an inner pocket. Sensors installed in bedrooms and living areas received signals from the smart clothing, which were transmitted to a mobile phone app of homecare nurses, who provided caregivers with transmitted information regarding activities, emergency situations and suggestions for caregiving activities. Outcomes included changes from baseline in caregivers' preparedness and depressive symptoms collected at 1- and 3-months, which were analyzed with Friedman's non-parametric test of repeated measures with post-hoc analysis. Transcripts of face-to-face semi-structured interview data about caregivers' experiences were analyzed to identify descriptive, interpretative, and pattern codes. RESULTS: Preparedness did not change from baseline at either 1- or 3-months for family caregivers of persons with dementia. However, depressive symptoms decreased significantly at 1-month and 3-months compared with baseline, but not between 1-months and 3-months. Analysis of the interview data revealed the smart clothes program increased family caregivers' knowledge of the care recipient's situation and condition, informed healthcare providers of the care recipient's physical health and cognitive status, helped homecare nurses provide timely interventions, balanced the care recipient's exercise and safety, motivated recipients to exercise, helped family caregivers balance work and caregiving, and provided guidance for caregiving activities. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences with the smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program directly benefited family caregivers, which provided indirect benefits to the care recipients due to the timely interventions and caregiving guidance from homecare nurses. These benefits suggest a smart-clothes-assisted program might be beneficial for all family caregivers.

A case report of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia complicated with MODS in a previously healthy patient and related literature review.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an unusual pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia, especially in previously healthy adults, but often indicates poor prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a previously healthy patient who developed severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by P. aeruginosa. He deteriorated to septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) quickly, complicated by secondary hematogenous central nervous system (CNS) infection. After 1 month of organ support and antipseudomonal therapy, he had significant symptomatic improvement and was discharged from hospital. During treatment, the pathogen developed resistance to carbapenems quickly and the antibiotic regimen was adjusted accordingly. CONCLUSIONS: According to our case and related literature review, we conclude that more attention should be paid to community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia, because of its rapid progression and poor prognosis.

Randomized trial of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation for hepatitis B virus cirrhosis: regulation of Treg/Th17 cells.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Liver cirrhosis is one of the major consequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and transplantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (ABMSCs) is one of promising therapies for patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC). However, the mechanism is unclear. The aim of the current study was to explore the role of Treg/Th17 cells in ABMSCs transplantation in patients with HBV-LC. METHODS: In this prospective study, 56 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to transplantation group and control group. After 24-week follow-up, 39 patients completed the study (20 cases in transplantation group and 19 cases in control group). The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, liver function, changes of Treg/Th17 cells, as well as related transcription factors and serum cytokines, were determined. RESULTS: Although patients in both groups showed significant improvement after Entecavir treatment, ABMSC transplantation further improved patients' liver function. Moreover, there was a significant increase in Treg cells and a marked decrease in Th17 cells in the transplantation group compared with control, leading to an increased Treg/Th17 ratio. Furthermore, mRNA levels of Treg-related transcription factor (Foxp3) and Th17-related transcription factor (RORγt) were increased and decreased, respectively. In addition, serum transforming growth factor-ß levels were significantly higher at early weeks of transplantation, while serum levels of interleukin-17, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 were significantly lower in patients in the transplantation group compared with control. CONCLUSION: ABMSCs transplantation was effective in improving liver function in patients with HBV-LC, which was mediated, at least in part, through the regulation of Treg/Th17 cell balance.

A systematic review of the predictive value of radiomics for nasopharyngeal carcinoma prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Radiomics has been widely used in the study of tumours, which has predictive and prognostic value in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Therefore, we collected relevant literature to explore the role of current radiomics in predicting the prognosis of NPC. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis in accordance with the preferred reporting items in the systematic evaluation and meta-analysis guidelines. We included papers on radiomics published before May 5, 2024, to evaluate the predictive ability of radiomics for the prognosis of NPC. The methodological quality of the included articles was evaluated using the radiomics quality score. The area under the curve (AUC), combined sensitivity and combined specificity were used to evaluate the ability of radiomics models to predict the prognosis of NPC. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria for the current systematic review, and 13 papers were included in the meta-analysis. The radiomics quality score ranged from 7 to 20 (maximum score: 36). The diagnostic test forest plots showed that the diagnostic OR of radiology was 11.04 (95% CI: 5.11-23.87), while the ORs for sensitivity and 1-specificity were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.73-0.78) and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.72-0.76), respectively. It cannot be determined whether the combined model was superior to the radiomics model for predicting the prognosis of NPC. It is unclear whether the fact that the radiomics model was composed of features extracted from MRI is due to CT. The AUC of PFS was larger than that of disease-free survival (P < .05). The overall AUC value is 0.8265. CONCLUSION: This study summarized all the studies that examined the predictive value of radiomics for NPC prognosis. Based on the summarized AUC values, as well as sensitivity and 1-specificity, it can be concluded that radiomics has good performance in predicting the prognosis of NPC. Radiomics models have certain advantages in predicting the effectiveness of PFS compared to predicting disease-free survival. It cannot be determined whether the combination model is superior to the radiomics model in predicting NPC prognosis, nor can it be determined whether imaging methods have differences in predictive ability. The findings confirmed and provided further evidence supporting the effectiveness of radiomics for the prediction of cancer prognosis.

A Pedigree Investigation of H-antigen Deletion Caused by Mutation of 658 C to T in the FUT1 Gene.

H-antigen deletion is often caused by FUT1 gene mutation, which is a very rare blood group. In this case, the H-antigen phenotype, FUT1, FUT2 sequences, and family genetic investigation of a 26-year-old patient (proband) and her three family members were studied. The results showed that the proband and little her brother were H-deficient phenotype, their ABO genotype of both was A/O1, her father was A/B, and her mother was O1/O1. The proband and her little brother's FUT1 phenotype were both h3|h3, with a homozygous mutation 658C > T in their FUT1 gene, and the FUT1 phenotype of their parents' were H|h3, with a heterozygous mutation (658C > T) in their FUT1 gene. The result of whole gene sequencing showed that the father of the proband had a deletion of CHR19.49,255,178-49,257,177 in the FUT1 gene (hg19 was used as the reference). The results of the family investigation showed that the mutation of site 658 in the FUT1 gene between offspring and parents was consistent with Mendelian inheritance law.

Hierarchical nanofibrous and recyclable membrane with unidirectional water-transport effect for efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has attracted significant attention for water purification. However, design and fabrication of solar-driven evaporator with cost-effective, excellent capability and large-scale production remains challenging. In this study, inspired by plant transpiration, a tri-layered hierarchical nanofibrous photothermal membrane (HNPM) with a unidirectional water transport effect was designed and prepared via electrospinning for efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation. The synergistic effect of the hierarchical hydrophilic-hydrophobic structure and the self-pumping effect endowed the HNPM with unidirectional water transport properties. The HNPM could unidirectionally drive water from the hydrophobic layer to the hydrophilic layer within 2.5 s and prevent reverse water penetration. With this unique property, the HNPM was coupled with a water supply component and thermal insulator to assemble a self-floating evaporator for water desalination. Under 1 sun illumination, the water evaporation rates of the designed evaporator with HNPM in pure water and dyed wastewater reached 1.44 and 1.78 kg·m-2·h-1, respectively. The evaporator could achieve evaporation of 11.04 kg·m-2 in 10 h under outdoor solar conditions. Moreover, the tri-layered HNPM exhibited outstanding flexibility and recyclability. Our bionic hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic structure endowed the solar-driven evaporator with capillary wicking and transpiration effects, which provides a rational design and optimization for efficient solar-driven applications.

Ocean internal tides suppress tropical cyclones in the South China Sea.

Tropical Cyclones (TCs) are devastating natural disasters. Analyzing four decades of global TC data, here we find that among all global TC-active basins, the South China Sea (SCS) stands out as particularly difficult ocean for TCs to intensify, despite favorable atmosphere and ocean conditions. Over the SCS, TC intensification rate and its probability for a rapid intensification (intensification by ≥ 15.4 m s-1 day-1) are only 1/2 and 1/3, respectively, of those for the rest of the world ocean. Originating from complex interplays between astronomic tides and the SCS topography, gigantic ocean internal tides interact with TC-generated oceanic near-inertial waves and induce a strong ocean cooling effect, suppressing the TC intensification. Inclusion of this interaction between internal tides and TC in operational weather prediction systems is expected to improve forecast of TC intensity in the SCS and in other regions where strong internal tides are present.

GC/MS-Based Urine Metabolomics Study on the Ameliorative Effect of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Extract on Alzheimer's Disease in Mice.

The cause of Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia today, is still unclear, and in current research, there are no drugs that work relatively well. Therefore, the study for new drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease is an urgent research need. Research on the improvement of Alzheimer's disease with extracts of Xanthoceras sorbifolia has been increasing in recent years, but the mechanism is not fully understood. The experiments were conducted to validate the model and analyze the treatment effect through D-galactose and Aß 25-35 induced dementia model mice, using the Morris water maze, to detect the learning behavior and brain tissue section to observe the hippocampal tissue structure of mice. We performed a nontargeted metabolomic analysis of the urine obtained from different groups of mice using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fourteen potential biomarkers were identified in the mice's urine, outlining five metabolic pathways of interest. It was shown that the extracts of Xanthoceras sorbifolia may exert protective effects on mice in dementia models through energy metabolism, neuroinflammation, and antioxidants. This study reveals the potential pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and the possible therapeutic mechanism of Xanthoceras sorbifolia, suggests relevant biomarkers, and provides an additional basis for the clinical application of Xanthoceras sorbifolia.

A prediction model of enteral nutrition complicated with severe diarrhea in ICU patients based on CD55.

BACKGROUND: Severe diarrhea is a common complication of enteral nutrition in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. CD55 not only plays a vital role in immune but also plays a crucial role in intestinal function. We intended to build a prediction model of enteral nutrition complicated with severe diarrhea in ICU patients based on CD55. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center, observational study. We collected 116 patients with enteral nutrition in the ICU. We collected blood samples from patients at the time of admission, tested blood biomarkers [CD55, interleukin-10 (IL-10), diamine oxidase, D-lactic acid and endotoxin], and recorded daily defecation and enteral nutrition. Finally, through multi-factor logistic regression model, a prediction model based on multiple prediction indicators was formed, and new joint predictive factors were calculated. The prediction model of enteral nutrition complicated with severe diarrhea in ICU patients was constructed through data processing analysis. RESULTS: A total of 116 adult patients with enteral nutrition were divided into two groups: 77 patients without severe diarrhea and 39 with severe diarrhea. Compared with patients without severe diarrhea, CD55 on granulocyte membrane surface(gCD55) of patients with severe diarrhea was significantly reduced (P<0.0001), and CD55 on erythrocyte membrane surface(eCD55) of patients with diarrhea was significantly reduced (P<0.0001), serum IL-10 in patients with diarrhea significantly decreased compared with those without diarrhea, P<0.0001.The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUCROC) was 0.919 in gCD55 predicting severe diarrhea, when cutoff value =99.95%, the optimal sensitivity was 96.2%, and specificity was 100%. The AUROC of eCD55 and IL-10 in predicting severe diarrhea was 0.658 and 0.558 respectively. Based on this, a prediction model was established. The prediction model was: In[P/(1- P)] =-24.68 gCD55 -2.26 eCD55 +0.0041 IL-10 +2,691, the goodness of fit test of the model was P=0.44, and the AUCROC of the model was 0.92. CONCLUSIONS: gCD55 and eCD55 had certain predictive value in enteral nutrition complicated with severe diarrhea.

Observing Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in solar blowout jet.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) is a basic physical process in fluids and magnetized plasmas, with applications successfully modelling e.g. exponentially growing instabilities observed at magnetospheric and heliospheric boundaries, in the solar or Earth's atmosphere and within astrophysical jets. Here, we report the discovery of the KHI in solar blowout jets and analyse the detailed evolution by employing high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) satellite launched in 2013. The particular jet we focus on is rooted in the surrounding penumbra of the main negative polarity sunspot of Active Region 12365, where the main body of the jet is a super-penumbral structure. At its maximum, the jet has a length of 90 Mm, a width of 19.7 Mm, and its density is about 40 times higher than its surroundings. During the evolution of the jet, a cavity appears near the base of the jet, and bi-directional flows originated from the top and bottom of the cavity start to develop, indicating that magnetic reconnection takes place around the cavity. Two upward flows pass along the left boundary of the jet successively. Next, KHI develops due to a strong velocity shear (∼204 km s-1) between these two flows, and subsequently the smooth left boundary exhibits a sawtooth pattern, evidencing the onset of the instability.

Performance Assessment of Internal Quality Control (IQC) Products in Blood Transfusion Compatibility Testing in China.

Internal quality control (IQC) is a critical component of laboratory quality management, and IQC products can determine the reliability of testing results. In China, given the fact that most blood transfusion compatibility laboratories do not employ IQC products or do so minimally, there is a lack of uniform and standardized IQC methods. To explore the reliability of IQC products and methods, we studied 697 results from IQC samples in our laboratory from 2012 to 2014. The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the IQCs in anti-B testing were 100% and 99.7%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the IQCs in forward blood typing, anti-A testing, irregular antibody screening, and cross-matching were all 100%. The reliability analysis indicated that 97% of anti-B testing results were at a 99% confidence level, and 99.9% of forward blood typing, anti-A testing, irregular antibody screening, and cross-matching results were at a 99% confidence level. Therefore, our IQC products and methods are highly sensitive, specific, and reliable. Our study paves the way for the establishment of a uniform and standardized IQC method for pre-transfusion compatibility testing in China and other parts of the world.

The hepatoprotective effect of fraxetin on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic fibrosis by antioxidative activities in rats.

The aim of the study was to investigate the potentially protective effects of fraxetin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced oxidative stress and hepatic fibrosis in Sprague-Dawley rats. In this study, rats were divided into five groups, including normal controls, model, silymarin as the positive control, fraxetin 20 mg/kg and fraxetin 50 mg/kg. After 8 weeks, activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBIL) were checked. The levels of protein carbonyls, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were determined after fraxetin administration. The hydroxyproline levels and histopathologic examinations of hepatocyte fibrosis were also determined. We found that fraxetin at doses of 20 and 50 mg/kg for 8 weeks significantly reduced the levels of TBARS and protein carbonyls compared with CCl4 group. Fraxetin significantly increased the activities of catalase, SOD and GSH-Px in the liver. We also found that fraxetin prevented CCl4 induced hepatic fibrosis by histological observations. These results indicate that fraxetin exhibits potent protective effects against CCl4 induced oxidative stress and hepatic fibrosis.