Deploying Robot-Led Activities for People with Dementia at Aged Care Facilities: A Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the feasibility of deploying robot-led activities for people with dementia living in aged care facilities. DESIGN: Embedded mixed-methods design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Eleven residents (aged ≥65 years) with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were recruited from 2 aged care facilities in Brisbane, Australia. METHODS: We implemented a novel control logic, "Adam Program," for a human-like robot to provide proactive robot activities for people with dementia. Participants individually participated in a nonfacilitated robot intervention thrice a week for 5 weeks from November to December 2022. We video-recorded each intervention session and quantified participants' visual, behavioral, and verbal engagement. A semi-structured interview was conducted at the end of the 5-week intervention. The treatment fidelity strategies and finances were reported and evaluated. The Bowen Feasibility Framework guided data analysis into 6 focus areas: acceptability, demand, implementation, efficacy, integration, and practicality. RESULTS: Based on participants' perceptions, findings demonstrated adequate acceptability and demand for robot-led activities. Findings reported a high level of visual engagement (98.54%) and an increased trend of behavior engagement over 5 weeks. Participants independently communicated with Adam, with most (97.02%) verbal engagements free of human facilitation. The treatment fidelity strategies regarding the activity delivery, intervention received, and intervention skills are provided alongside the equipment expenses, revealing the feasibility of integrating robot-led activities for people with dementia in aged care facilities. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Using human-like robots to independently lead interactive activities for people with dementia at aged care facilities is feasible and acceptable. Although robot-led activities require further improvement, this study explored a practical-driven solution that provided guidelines for developing and implementing robot-led activities in aged care settings. Future studies could replicate similar robot-led activities for further investigation and evaluation. Strategies for multilevel determinants of Adam's implementation based on a context assessment are recommended for future research.

Revisiting the Environment Effect on Mass Transfer for Heterogenized Pd6 Ru8 Metal-Organic Cage Photocatalyst Confined within 3D Matrix.

Artificial light-driven splitting of water into hydrogen involves multiple links to emulate natural photosynthesis, including light absorption, electron or energy transfer, surface catalysis et al., in which, the mass transportation of sacrificial reagent and reactant is always ignored. Metal-organic cage (MOC) of Pd6 Ru8 (MOC-16), assembling multiple photosensitive Ru and catalytic Pd concomitant with directional electron transfer between them, provides an opportunity to explore the environmental effects from the view point of mass transportation without disturbance of other links. Zr-MOF of UiO-66 is used as a matrix to heterogenize MOC-16 and a series of characterizations are carried out to unravel the composition, structure and optical properties. The intact MOC-16 remains with long-term photo-stability and the outstanding photocatalytic activity is obtained by virtue of a long-lived triplet state. Three matrixes of ZIF-8, ZIF-8 derived carbonate CZIF, and UiO-66 are intercompared for mass transfer based on wettability and porous structure. Water molecule directly takes part in the formation of H2 catalyzed by MOC-16@UiO-66, evidenced by a kinetic isotope effect, in addition to the proton delivery thanks to the hydrophilic nature of UiO-66. The porous structure of UiO-66 is essential for the permeation of sacrificial reagent to serve as two-electron donor, in sharp contrast as one-electron donor in nonporous CZIF matrix. These results highlight the importance of microenviroment surrounding molecular catalysts in view of the heterogenization of molecular catalysts, meanwhile, providing a prominent guidance on how to choose 3D support to bridge the homogenous and heterogenous system.

Charge State of Au25(SG)18 Nanoclusters Induced by Interaction with a Metal Organic Framework Support and Its Effect on Catalytic Performance.

We investigated the charge transfer between Au25(SG)18 nanoclusters and metal-organic framework (MOF) supports including Mil-101-Cr, Mil-125-Ti, and ZIF-8 by an X-ray photoemission technique and discussed the influence of resulted charge states of supported Au25(SG)18 nanoclusters on the 4-nitrophenol reduction reaction. Charge transfer from Au25(SG)18 to Mil-101-Cr induces positive charge Auδ+ (0 < δ < 1) while charge transfer from ZIF-8 to Au25(SG)18 generates negative charge Auδ- due to different metal-support interactions. Au25(SG)18 on Mil-125 shows metallic Au0, similar to unsupported Au25(SG)18, due to negligible charge transfer. The resulted charge state of Auδ- inhibits the formation of adsorbed hydride (H-) species because of electrostatic repulsion, while Auδ+ impairs the reductive ability of adsorbed hydride (H-) species due to strong affinity between them. In comparison, metallic Au0 in Au25(SG)18/Mil-125 and unsupported Au25(SG)18 presents the optimum catalytic activity. The current work provides guidelines to design effective metal nanoclusters in heterogeneous catalysis through metal-support interaction exerted by metal-oxo/nitric clusters within MOFs.

Efficacy of telemedicine on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of health services via remote communication and technology. It is a convenient and cost-effective method of intervention, which has shown to be successful in improving glyceamic control for type 2 diabetes patients. The utility of a successful diabetes intervention is vital to reduce disease complications, hospital admissions and associated economic costs. AIM: To evaluate the effects of telemedicine interventions on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), post-prandial glucose (PPG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), weight, cholesterol, mental and physical quality of life (QoL) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The secondary aim of this study is to determine the effect of the following subgroups on HbA1c post-telemedicine intervention; telemedicine characteristics, patient characteristics and self-care outcomes. METHODS: PubMed Central, Cochrane Library, Embase and Scopus databases were searched from inception until 18th of June 2020. The quality of the 43 included studies were assessed using the PEDro scale, and the random effects model was used to estimate outcomes and I 2 for heterogeneity testing. The mean difference and standard deviation data were extracted for analysis. RESULTS: We found a significant reduction in HbA1c [-0.486%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.561 to -0.410, P < 0.001], DBP (-0.875 mmHg; 95%CI -1.429 to -0.321, P < 0.01), PPG (-1.458 mmol/L; 95%CI -2.648 to -0.268, P < 0.01), FPG (-0.577 mmol/L; 95%CI -0.710 to -0.443, P < 0.001), weight (-0.243 kg; 95%CI -0.442 to -0.045, P < 0.05), BMI (-0.304; 95%CI -0.563 to -0.045, P < 0.05), mental QoL (2.210; 95%CI 0.053 to 4.367, P < 0.05) and physical QoL (-1.312; 95%CI 0.545 to 2.080, P < 0.001) for patients following telemedicine interventions in comparison to control groups. The results of the meta-analysis did not show any significant reductions in SBP and cholesterol in the telemedicine interventions compared to the control groups. The telemedicine characteristic subgroup analysis revealed that clinical treatment models of intervention, as well as those involving telemonitoring, and those provided via modes of videoconference or interactive telephone had the greatest effect on HbA1c reduction. In addition, interventions delivered at a less than weekly frequency, as well as those given for a duration of 6 mo, and those lead by allied health resulted in better HbA1c outcomes. Furthermore, interventions with a focus on biomedical parameters, as well as those with an engagement level > 70% and those with a drop-out rate of 10%-19.9% showed greatest HbA1c reduction. The patient characteristics investigation reported that Hispanic patients with T2DM had a greater HbA1c reduction post telemedicine intervention. For self-care outcomes, telemedicine interventions that resulted in higher post-intervention glucose monitoring and self-efficacy were shown to have better HbA1c reduction. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that telemedicine is effective for improving HbA1c and thus, glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, telemedicine interventions were also found to significantly improved other health outcomes as well as QoL scores. The results of the subgroup analysis emphasized that interventions in the form of telemonitoring, via a clinical treatment model and with a focus on biomedical parameters, delivered at a less than weekly frequency and 6 mo duration would have the largest effect on HbA1c reduction. This is in addition to being led by allied health, through modes such as video conference and interactive telephone, with an intervention engagement level > 70% and a drop-out rate between 10%-19.9%. Due to the high heterogeneity of included studies and limitations, further studies with a larger sample size is needed to confirm our findings.

Effects of Probiotics on Patients with Hypertension: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotics on blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and blood glucose changes in patients with hypertension. RECENT FINDINGS: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and ProQuest databases using a combination of MeSH and free text, from the inception of these databases to 20 January 2020, with no language restrictions. The quantitative PEDro scale method was used to assess the quality of the included studies. We used the random effects models to estimate the outcomes, with heterogeneity among the studies assessed using Cochran's Q statistic. Fourteen included studies published between 2002 and 2019 were included in the meta-analysis, reporting results of 846 hypertension participants. A significant reduction in SBP by - 2.05 mmHg (95% CI - 3.87, -0.24, P = 0.03), DBP by - 1.26 mmHg (95% CI - 2.51, - 0.004, P = 0.047), BMI by - 1.03 (95% CI - 1.28, - 0.97, P < 0.01), and blood glucose by - 0.18 mmol/L (95% CI - 0.30 - 0.05, P = 0.007) was observed following probiotics intervention. Our meta-analysis showed a modest but a significant reduction in SBP and DBP in patients with hypertension, particularly in those with diabetes mellitus, following probiotic supplementation. This effect was associated with treatment duration, dosage, and the age of subject but was not associated with single or multiple strains usage. Additionally, probiotic supplement had a beneficial effect in reducing BMI and blood glucose.

Construction and analysis of circular RNA molecular regulatory networks in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Increasing evidence has indicated that circular (circ)RNAs participate in carcinogenesis; however, the specific regulatory mechanisms underlying the effects of circRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and genes on the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) remain unclear. In the present study, RNA microarray data from CCRCC tissues and control samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas, in order to identify significantly dysregulated circRNAs, miRNAs and genes. The Cancer­Specific circRNA Database was used to explore the interactions between miRNAs and circRNAs, whereas TargetScan and miRDB were employed to predict the mRNA targets of miRNAs. Functional enrichment and prognostic analyses were conducted in R. The results revealed that 324 circRNAs were downregulated, whereas 218 circRNAs were upregulated in cancer. In addition, a circRNA­miRNA­mRNA interaction network was constructed. Gene Ontology analysis of the upregulated genes revealed that these genes were enriched in biological processes, including 'flavonoid metabolic process', 'cellular glucuronidation' and 'T cell activation'. The downregulated genes were mainly enriched in biological processes, such as 'nephron development', 'kidney development' and 'renal system development'. The hub genes, including membrane palmitoylated protein 7, aldehyde dehydrogenase 6 family member A1, transcription factor AP­2α, collagen type IV α 4 chain, nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 2, plasminogen, Holliday junction recognition protein, claudin 10, kinesin family member 18B and thyroid hormone receptor ß, and the hub miRNAs, including miR­21­3p, miR­155­3p, miR­144­3p, miR­142­5p, miR­875­3p, miR­885­3p, miR­3941, miR­224­3p, miR­584­3p and miR­138­1­3p, were significantly associated with CCRCC survival. In conclusion, these results suggested that the significantly dysregulated circRNAs, miRNAs and genes identified in this study may be considered potential biomarkers of the carcinogenesis of CCRCC and the survival of patients with this disease.

A robust photocatalyst of Au25@ZIF-8@TiO2-ReP with dual photoreductive sites to promote photoelectron utilization in H2O splitting to H2 and CO2 reduction to CO.

Sustaining long-term chemical or photochemical stability of a homogeneous molecular catalyst remains a significant challenge. We report a remarkable improvement of the activity and stability of a Au25@ZIF-8@TiO2-ReP catalyst via composition engineering with double redox active sites of Au25 NCs and a Re(i) complex for H2 and CO evolution to promote electron utilization.

Tuning Surface Chemoresistivity of Au Ultrathin Films Using Metal Deposition via Surface-Limited Redox Replacement of the Underpotentially Deposited Pb Monolayer.

The presented work investigates the chemoresistivity of Au ultrathin films, whose surface is modified by deposition of few monolayers of Au, Pd, or AuPd alloy. The model adsorbate in this study was the HS- ion from 0.1 M NaCl solution having concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 ppm. The Au surface modification was carried out using deposition via surface-limited redox replacement of the underpotentially deposited Pb monolayer. Modified Au films have shown higher chemoresistivity than the pristine ones. Our results and analysis suggest that these improvements are due to increased concentration of surface defects and enhanced scattering cross-section per adsorbate induced by chemical modification of the surface by Pd. The significance of our findings is discussed for practical applications shining more light on the importance of surface preparation for chemoresistive sensor design and performance.

Heterogenization of Photochemical Molecular Devices: Embedding a Metal-Organic Cage into a ZIF-8-Derived Matrix To Promote Proton and Electron Transfer.

Application of a molecular catalyst in artificial photosynthesis is confronted with challenges such as rapid deactivation due to photodegradation or detrimental aggregation in harsh conditions. In this work, a metal-organic cage [Pd6(RuL3)8]28+ (MOC-16), characteristic of a photochemical molecular device (PMD) concurrently integrating eight Ru2+ light-harvesting centers and six Pd2+ catalytic centers for efficient homogeneous H2 production, is successfully heterogenized through incorporation into a metal-organic framework (MOF) of ZIF-8 and then transformed into a carbonate matrix of Znx(MeIm)x(CO3)x (CZIF), leading to hybridized MOC-16@CZIF. This MOC@MOF integrated photocatalyst inherits a highly efficient and directional electron transfer in the picosecond domain of MOC-16 and possesses one order increased microsecond magnitude of the triplet excited-state electron in comparison to that of the primitive MOC-16. The carbonate CZIF matrix endows MOC-16@CZIF with water wettability, serving as a proton relay to facilitate proton delivery by virtue of H2O as proton carriers. Electron transfer during the photocatalytic process is also enhanced by infiltration of a sacrificial agent of BIH into the CZIF matrix to promote conductivity, owing to its strong reducing ability to induce free charge carriers. These synergistic effects contribute to the extra high activity for H2 generation, making the turnover frequency of this heterogeneous MOC-16@CZIF photocatalyst maintain a level of ∼0.4 H2·s-1, increased by 50-fold over that of a homogeneous PMD. Meanwhile, it is robust enough to tolerate harsh reaction conditions, presenting an unprecedented heterogenization example of homogeneous PMD with a MOF-derived matrix to mimic catalytic features of a natural photosystem, which may shed light on the design of multifunctional PMD@MOF materials to expand the number of molecular catalysts for practical application in artificial photosynthesis.

Salen supported Al-O-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]P and Ga-P[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]O complexes.

The first OCP adducts of aluminium and gallium are reported. The complexes are supported by sterically encumbered salen ligands and reveal a selective binding to O and P, respectively. Their reactivity with diazaphosphenium Lewis acids and N-heterocyclic carbene Lewis bases is described, in addition to cycloaddition reactions with s-tetrazines.

Electroless Deposition of Pb Monolayer: A New Process and Application to Surface Selective Atomic Layer Deposition.

The present work demonstrates an electroless (e-less) deposition of Pb monolayer on Au and Cu surface whose morphology and properties resemble its underpotentially deposited counterpart. Our results and analysis show that the e-less Pb monolayer deposition is a surface selective, surface controlled, self-terminating process. Results also show that the electroless Pb monolayer deposition is enabling a phenomenon for new deposition method called "electroless atomic layer deposition" (e-less ALD). Here, the e-less Pb monolayer serves as reducing agent and sacrificial material in surface limited redox replacement reaction with noble metal ions such as Pt n+, i.e., Pt deposition. The e-less ALD is highly selective to the metal substrates at which Pb forms the e-less monolayer. The full e-less ALD cycle leads to an overall deposition of a controlled amount of the noble metal. Repetition of the two-step e-less ALD cycle an arbitrary number of times leads to formation of a highly compact, smooth, and conformal noble metal thin film with applications spanning from catalyst synthesis to semiconductor technology. The process is designed for (but not limited to) aqueous solutions that can be easily scaled up to any size and shape of the substrate, deeming its wide applications.

Simple Synthesis of Functionalized 2-Phosphanaphthalenes.

A simple synthesis of sodium 2-phosphanaphthalene-3-olate (1) based on the extrusion of N2 from phthalazine using Na[OCP] is reported. This heterocycle can be readily functionalized at the negatively charged oxygen center using a variety of electrophilic substrates. The coordination chemistry of both 1 and its neutral derivatives was explored, revealing their facile use as P-donor ligands for late-transition-metal complexes.

[Transurethral prostatectomy with the bipolar plasmakinetic technique for benign prostate hyperplasia: a report of 712 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of transurethral prostatectomy with the bipolar plasmakinetic technique (PKRP) in the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: A total of 712 BPH patients underwent transurethral prostatectomy with the bipolar plasmakinetic technique. The patients averaged 70.6 years of age and 52 g (range 35-102 g) in estimated prostate weight preoperatively. Comparative analyses were made on the maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), residual urine volume and scores on IPSS and QOL obtained pre- and post-operatively. RESULTS: The operations lasted 20-120 minutes (mean 51 min), the resected tissues weighed 15-96 g (mean 46 g), and no transurethral resection syndrome (TURS) occurred. The catheters were removed 4 -5 days after surgery. The patients were followed up for 1 -52 months (mean 27.6 mo). Obvious reduction was observed in the average Qmax from 4.7 ml/s preoperatively to 19. 1 ml/s postoperatively, in the mean IPSS score from 26.6 to 5. 8, and in the mean QOL score from 5.4 to 1.7, all with significant differences (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Transurethral prostatectomy with the bipolar plasmakinetic technique is a safe and effective means for the treatment of BPH.