The effectiveness of community ageing in place, advancing better living for elders as a biobehavioural environmental approach for disability among low-income older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: community ageing in place, advancing better living for elders (CAPABLE), which is a biobehavioural environmental approach by addressing individual capacities and the home environment, aims to reduce the impact of disability among low-income older adults. OBJECTIVE: this meta-analysis aims to elucidate the efficacy of the CAPABLE program on related outcomes in low-income older adults. METHODS: a systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL and EMBASE was conducted for articles published up to August 2022. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to calculate the pooled effect sizes of the efficacy of the CAPABLE program on home safety hazards, activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), depression, falls efficacy, pain and quality of life. RESULTS: seven studies involving 2,921 low-income older adults (1,117 as the CAPABLE group and 1,804 served as a control) with an average age ranging from 65 to 79 were included in the present meta-analysis. Pre-post effect analyses showed that CAPABLE was significantly associated with lower home safety hazards, ADLs, IADLs, depression, falls efficacy, pain and quality of life. Additionally, there were statistically significant associations between the CAPABLE program with improvements in ADLs, IADLs and quality of life compared with controls. CONCLUSION: CAPABLE intervention may be a promising strategy to reduce health disparities, and disability limitations, and improve the quality of life in low-income community-dwelling older adults who suffer from disabilities by addressing both the person and the environment.

Effect of Portulaca Oleracea L. extract on functional constipation: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: : This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of P. oleracea in the management of patients with functional constipation. Methods: : A total of 60 patients with functional constipation as defined by the Rome IV criteria were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study; 70% ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of P. oleracea were used for the intervention. Patients were randomly assigned to the P. oleracea or placebo groups. Treatment response, quality of life, and changes in colonic transit time (CTT) were evaluated. Results: : Complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) improved significantly in the P. oleracea group compared with that in the placebo group over 8 weeks of treatment (P = 0.003). Overall Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) score improvements were observed in the P. oleracea group (P < 0.05). Moreover, CTT decreased from 44.5 ± 22.0 h to 33.7 ± 22.7 h in the P. oleracea group after 7 weeks of treatment (P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) or adverse events between the groups. Conclusions: : Compared to placebo, the use of P. oleracea in patients with functional constipation significantly improved CSBM, severity of symptoms, and quality of life. Further large studies are required to assess the benefits of P. oleracea in the treatment of functional constipation.

The global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of pediatric new-onset type 1 diabetes and ketoacidosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Viral infections may increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D), and recent reports suggest that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) might have increased the incidence of pediatric T1D and/or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to estimate the risk of global pediatric new-onset T1D, DKA, and severe DKA before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and EMBASE was conducted for articles published up to March 2022. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to compare the relative risk of T1D and DKA among pediatric patients with T1D between the COVID-19 pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. We also compared glucose and HbA1c values in children who were newly diagnosed with T1D before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The global incidence rate of T1D in the 2019 period was 19.73 per 100 000 children and 32.39 per 100 000 in the 2020 period. Compared with pre-COVID-19 pandemic, the number of worldwide pediatric new-onset T1D, DKA, and severe DKA during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic increased by 9.5%, 25%, and 19.5%, respectively. Compared with pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, the median glucose, and HbA1c values in newly diagnosed T1D children after the COVID-19 pandemic increased by 6.43% and 6.42%, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the risk of global pediatric new-onset T1D, DKA, and severe DKA. Moreover, higher glucose and HbA1c values in newly diagnosed T1D children after the COVID-19 pandemic mandates targeted measures to raise public and physician awareness.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of myocarditis associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

To analyze the clinical presentation and outcomes of myocarditis after administration of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. Nine case series and 15 case reports (74 patients) of myocarditis after administration of the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine were reviewed from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. We analyzed clinical manifestations, diagnostic findings, and outcomes. In addition, we performed a pooled analysis and investigated risk factors leading to admission to the intensive care unit and recovery with conservative care. Most patients were male (94.6%), and the median age (range) was 17.6 (14-70) years. Patients who received the BNT162b2 (n = 58, 78.4%) vaccine presented fewer systemic symptoms and left ventricular dysfunction than mRNA-1273 recipients. Although patients under 20 years experienced more fever and myalgia, they had better ejection fraction and less prominent myocardial inflammation in magnetic resonance imaging than older patients. The clinical course of all patients was favorable without mortality, and one-third of patients resolved with conservative care alone. Risk factor analyses revealed that patients with gastrointestinal symptoms required intensive care (odds ratio: 20.3, 95% confidence interval 1.90-217, p = 0.013). The risk of fatality in myocarditis subjected to mRNA vaccination seems to be low. However, patients with gastrointestinal symptoms received more intensive care, and a significant proportion of patients recovered with conservative management.

Temperature induced crossing in the optical bandgap of mono and bilayer MoS2 on SiO2.

Photoluminescence measurements in mono- and bilayer-MoS2 on SiO2 were undertaken to determine the thermal effect of the MoS2/SiO2 interface on the optical bandgap. The energy and intensity of the photoluminescence from monolayer MoS2 were lower and weaker than those from bilayer MoS2 at low temperatures, whilst the opposite was true at high temperatures above 200 K. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the observed optical bandgap crossover is caused by a weaker substrate coupling to the bilayer than to the monolayer.

Association between pre-pregnancy body mass index and socioeconomic status and impact on pregnancy outcomes in Korea.

AIM: To compare socioeconomic status and pregnancy outcomes in relation to different pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) levels, and to determine whether gestational weight gain is related to socioeconomic status and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 3554 singleton pregnancies. Gravidas were grouped into three BMI categories and in three gestational weight gain categories. We performed multivariate analyses for the associations between pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, socioeconomic status, and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Overweight gravidas had shorter gestational weeks, decreased birthweight, and increased frequency of preterm birth (P < 0.05). There were higher percentages of low levels of education and low economic status in the overweight gravidas and their husbands (P < 0.05). There were also higher percentages of low levels of education in gravidas with a low weight gain during pregnancy and their husbands, and gravidas with low weight gain had increased frequency of preterm deliveries (P < 0.05). Overweight gravidas had a higher risk for preeclampsia (adjusted OR, 2.4) and gestational diabetes (adjusted OR, 2.0). Overweight gravidas and women with excessive weight gain during pregnancy had higher risks for cesarean section (unadjusted OR, 1.6), macrosomia (unadjusted OR, 2.7) and large for gestational age (LGA) (adjusted OR, 2.4). A higher risk for small gestational age (SGA) fetuses existed in normoweight gravidas and gravidas with low weight gain during pregnancy (unadjusted OR, 2.8). CONCLUSION: Overweight gravidas were associated with low education status, low economic status, and adverse pregnancy, whereas low weight gain during pregnancy was associated with low education status of the gravida and her husband, preterm delivery, and SGA.