Higher Rumination Tendency Is Associated with Reduced Positive Effects of Daily Activity Participation in People with Depressive Disorder.

Objectives: Rumination, a response style characterized by self-reflection loops of negative thoughts, tends to exacerbate depressive symptoms and may impair daily functional behaviors of individuals with depression. However, the specific impacts of rumination on activity participation remain unclear. The current study was aimed at examining the differences in daily activity participation profiles between clinically depressed people with higher versus lower rumination tendencies, with the hope to provide insightful suggestions for improving the quality of life of ruminative individuals with major depression. Methods: We recruited 143 participants with a depression-related diagnosis from psychiatric daycare centers or clinics and analyzed the differences in activity participation profiles between individuals with higher versus lower rumination tendencies. Results: Although compared to those with lower rumination tendencies, participants with higher rumination tendencies spent a longer time in activity participation; they experienced lower participation quality during these activities. Furthermore, their activity participation was primarily motivated by meeting others' expectations rather than self-interest. They also misattributed participation restriction to "lack of family support," indicating that the unhealthy rumination pattern might be the cause of their lack of positive feelings from engaging in meaningful daily activities. Conclusions: The current results suggest that the unhealthy motivation behind activity participation seems to be an important factor that decreases the quality of participation in individuals with higher rumination tendency. Establishing a healthy motivation for activity participation is therefore critical for improving their quality of participation. As an initial step, OT interventions could put a focus on helping them clarify and escape from the source of negative rumination cycles that impede their positive feeling of activity participation.

Magnesium Zirconate Titanate Thin Films Used as an NO2 Sensing Layer for Gas Sensor Applications Developed Using a Sol-Gel Method.

Magnesium zirconate titanate (MZT) thin films, used as a sensing layer on Al interdigitated electrodes prepared using a sol-gel spin-coating method, are demonstrated in this study. The p-type MZT/Al/SiO2/Si structure for sensing NO2 is also discussed. The results indicated that the best sensitivity of the gas sensor occurred when it was operating at a temperature ranging from 100 to 150 °C. The detection limit of the sensor was as low as 250 ppb. The sensitivity of the MZT thin film was 8.64% and 34.22% for 0.25 ppm and 5 ppm of NO2 gas molecules at a working temperature of 150 °C, respectively. The gas sensor also exhibited high repeatability and selectivity for NO2. The response values to 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 5000 ppb NO2 at 150 °C were 8.64, 9.52, 12, 16.63, 20.3, 23, and 34.22%, respectively. Additionally, we observed a high sensing linearity in NO2 gas molecules. These results indicate that MZT-based materials have potential applications for use as gas sensors.

Assessment of patient experience profiles and satisfaction with expectations of treatment effects by using latent class analysis based on a national patient experience survey in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Health system responsiveness is a complicated issue that guides researchers wishing to design an efficient methodology for enhancing understanding of perspectives regarding healthcare systems. This study examined the relationship between patient experience profiles and satisfaction with expectations of treatment effects. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. We used eight items obtained from latent class analysis to develop patient experience profiles. SETTING: Primary care users in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: This study conducted an annual National Health Insurance survey in Taiwan and sampled from those who had experience with the medical service in primary care clinics in 2015. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Respondents were asked to indicate the extent of their satisfaction with their expectation of treatment effects (or symptom improvement). RESULTS: The proportions of participants in groups 1-4 were 34%, 24%, 29% and 12%, respectively. Patients in good health were more satisfied with their expectations of treatment effects (OR 1.639, p=0.007). Furthermore, group 4 (-eAll) were less satisfied with their expectations of treatment effects than those in the other three groups (ORs: group 1 (+eAll): 9.81, group 2 (-CwR): 4.14 and group 3 (-CnR): 4.20). CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that experiences of poor accessibility and physician-patient relationships affected the patients' expectations. Therefore, greater accessibility and more positive physician-patient relationships could lead to higher patient satisfaction with their expectations of treatment effects. Furthermore, the findings could assist authorities in targeting specific patients, with the objective of improving their healthcare service experience. They could also serve as a mechanism for improving the quality of healthcare services and increase accountability in healthcare practices.