Study on Solar KANG Heating System for Cold Areas

AbstractThe current rural traditional heated kang cannot meet people's increasing requirements of comfort and environmental protection. This paper propose solar kang heating system in cold regions. System performance and heating effect were analyzed. We selected two typical rooms. One was set in traditional kang, and the other one was solar Kang type. Using temperature recording instrument and 64 roads inspection instrument and other instruments, we test the indoor temperature and the kang surface temperature of two rooms. Solar kang thermal resistance, heat storage, heat dissipation and heating effect were analyzed and compared. The results of the study show this system have the smaller fluctuation, more comfort while alleviating the kang surface overheat or super-cooling problem. It satisfied the requirements of indoor thermal comfort. The warming rate is 5.17°C/h, and the cooling rate is 3.01°C/h. These are slower than traditional Huokang speed. It improved the heat storage capacity of kang body with surface heat dissipation 1237W. Average temperature of the solar kang heating room was improved 3.28°C. It gets the smaller indoor temperature fluctuation. PMV values are concentrated about -0.5, and this basically meet the requirements of the user comfort

Late-life brain perfusion after prenatal famine exposure

Early nutritional deprivation may cause irreversible damage to the brain and seems to affect cognitive function in older age. We investigated whether prenatal undernutrition was associated with brain perfusion differences in older age. We acquired Arterial spin labeling scans in 118 Dutch famine birth cohort members. Using linear regression analyses, cerebral blood flow was compared between exposed and unexposed groups in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), perfusion territories, the neurodegeneration-related regions anterior and posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus. Furthermore, we compared the GM/WM ratio and the spatial coefficient of variation as a proxy of overall cerebrovascular health. The WM arterial spin labeling signal and the GM/WM ratio were significantly lower and higher, respectively, among exposed participants (−2.5 mL/100 g/min [95% CI: −4.3 to −0.8; p = 0.01] and 0.48 [0.19 to 0.76; p = 0.002], respectively). Exposed men had lower cerebral blood flow in anterior and posterior cingulate cortices (−8.0 mL/100 g/min [−15.1 to −0.9; p = 0.03]; −11.4 mL/100 g/min [−19.6 to −3.2; p = 0.02]) and higher spatial coefficient of variation (0.05 [0.00 to 0.09; p = 0.05]). The latter seemed largely mediated by higher 2h-glucose levels at age 50. Our findings suggest that prenatal undernutrition affects brain perfusion parameters providing further evidence for life-long effects of undernutrition during early brain development

Mutual aid groups in psychiatry and substance misuse

Background: Mutuality is a feature of many ‘self-help groups’ for people with mental health and/or substance misuse needs. These groups are diverse in terms of membership, aims, organisation and resources. Collectively, in terms of the pathways for seeking help, support, social capital or simply validation as people, mutual aid groups figure at some time in the life story of many psychiatric and/or substance misuse patients. From the viewpoint of clinical services, relations with such groups range from formal collaboration, through incidental shared care, via indifference, to incomprehension, suspicion, or even hostility. How should mental health and substance misuse clinicians relate to this informal care sector, in practice? Aims: To synthesise knowledge about three aspects of the relationship between psychiatric/substance misuse services and mutual aid groups: profile groups' engagement of people with mental health and/or substance misuse needs at all stages of vulnerability, illness or recovery; characterise patterns of health benefit or harm to patients, where such outcome evidence exists; identify features of mutual aid groups that distinguish them from clinical services. Method: A search of both published and unpublished literature with a focus on reports of psychiatric and substance misuse referral routes and outcomes, compiled for meta-synthesis. Results: Negative outcomes were found occasionally, but in general mutual aid group membership was repeatedly associated with positive benefits. Conclusions: Greater awareness of this resource for mental health and substance misuse fields could enhance practice

Efficacy of yoga for vasomotor symptoms: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the efficacy of yoga in alleviating vasomotor symptoms (VMS) frequency and bother. METHODS: This study was a three-by-two factorial, randomized controlled trial. Eligible women were randomized to yoga (n = 107), exercise (n = 106), or usual activity (n = 142), and were simultaneously randomized to a double-blind comparison of ω-3 fatty acid (n = 177) or placebo (n = 178) capsules. Yoga intervention consisted of 12 weekly 90-minute yoga classes with daily home practice. Primary outcomes were VMS frequency and bother assessed by daily diaries at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index) at baseline and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Among 249 randomized women, 237 (95%) completed 12-week assessments. The mean baseline VMS frequency was 7.4 per day (95% CI, 6.6 to 8.1) in the yoga group and 8.0 per day (95% CI, 7.3 to 8.7) in the usual activity group. Intent-to-treat analyses included all participants with response data (n = 237). There was no difference between intervention groups in the change in VMS frequency from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks (mean difference [yoga--usual activity] from baseline at 6 wk, -0.3 [95% CI, -1.1 to 0.5]; mean difference [yoga--usual activity] from baseline at 12 wk, -0.3 [95% CI, -1.2 to 0.6]; P = 0.119 across both time points). Results were similar for VMS bother. At week 12, yoga was associated with an improvement in insomnia symptoms (mean difference [yoga - usual activity] in the change in Insomnia Severity Index, 1.3 [95% CI, -2.5 to -0.1]; P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Among healthy women, 12 weeks of yoga class plus home practice, compared with usual activity, do not improve VMS frequency or bother but reduce insomnia symptoms

Menopausal Quality of Life: A RCT of Yoga, Exercise and Omega-3 Supplements

Objective— Determine efficacy of three non-hormonal therapies for improving menopause- related quality of life (QOL) in women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS). Methods— 12-week 3×2 randomized, controlled, factorial design trial. Peri- and postmenopausal women, ages 40-62 years, were randomized to yoga (n=107), exercise (n=106), or usual activity (n=142), and also randomized to double-blind comparison of omega-3 (n=177) or placebo (n=178) capsules. Interventions: 1) weekly 90-minute yoga classes with daily at-home practice; 2) individualized facility-based aerobic exercise training 3 times/week; and 3) 0.615 gram omega-3 supplement, 3 times/day. Outcomes: Menopausal Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) total and domain (VMS, psychosocial, physical and sexual) scores. Results— Among 355 randomized women, average age 54.7 years, 338 (95%) completed 12- week assessments. Mean baseline VMS frequency was 7.6/day and mean baseline total MENQOL score was 3.8 (range 1-8 from better to worse) with no between-group differences. For yoga compared to usual activity, baseline to 12-week improvements were seen for MENQOL total -0.3 (95% CI -0.6 to 0.0, p=0.02), and VMS (p=0.02) and sexuality (p=0.03) domain scores. For exercise and omega-3 compared to controls, improvements in baseline to 12-week total MENQOL scores were not observed. Exercise showed benefit in the MENQOL physical domain score at 12- weeks (p=0.02). Conclusion— All women become menopausal and many seek medical advice on ways to improve quality of life; little evidence-based information exists. We found, among healthy sedentary menopausal women, yoga appears to improve menopausal QOL - the clinical significance of our finding is uncertain due to modest effect

High cellular monocyte activation in people living with human immunodeficiency virus on combination antiretroviral therapy and lifestyle-matched controls is associated with greater inflammation in cerebrospinal fluid

Background. Increased monocyte activation and intestinal damage have been shown to be predictive for the increased morbidity and mortality observed in treated people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). Methods. A cross-sectional analysis of cellular and soluble markers of monocyte activation, coagulation, intestinal damage, and inflammation in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of PLHIV with suppressed plasma viremia on combination antiretroviral therapy and age and demographically comparable HIV-negative individuals participating in the Comorbidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) cohort and, where appropriate, age-matched blood bank donors (BBD). Results. People living with HIV, HIV-negative individuals, and BBD had comparable percentages of classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocytes. Expression of CD163, CD32, CD64, HLA-DR, CD38, CD40, CD86, CD91, CD11c, and CX3CR1 on monocytes did not differ between PLHIV and HIV-negative individuals, but it differed significantly from BBD. Principal component analysis revealed that 57.5% of PLHIV and 62.5% of HIV-negative individuals had a high monocyte activation profile compared with 2.9% of BBD. Cellular monocyte activation in the COBRA cohort was strongly associated with soluble markers of monocyte activation and inflammation in the CSF. Conclusions. People living with HIV and HIV-negative COBRA participants had high levels of cellular monocyte activation compared with age-matched BBD. High monocyte activation was predictive for inflammation in the CSF

Weight change during chemotherapy changes the prognosis in non metastatic breast cancer for the worse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Weight change during chemotherapy is reported to be associated with a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients, both with weight gain and weight loss. However, most studies were conducted prior to the common use of anthracycline-base chemotherapy and on North American populations with a mean BMI classified as overweight. Our study was aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of weight change during anthracycline-based chemotherapy on non metastatic breast cancer (European population) with a long term follow-up.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients included 111 women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and locally advanced breast cancer who have been treated by anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen between 1976 and 1989. The relative percent weight variation (WV) between baseline and postchemotherapy treatment was calculated and categorized into either weight change (WV > 5%) or stable (WV < 5%). The median follow-up was 20.4 years [19.4 - 27.6]. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate any potential association of weight change and known prognostic factors with the time to recurrence and overall survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Baseline BMI was 24.4 kg/m2 [17.1 - 40.5]. During chemotherapy treatment, 31% of patients presented a notable weight variation which was greater than 5% of their initial weight.</p> <p>In multivariate analyses, weight change (> 5%) was positively associated with an increased risk of both recurrence (RR 2.28; 95% CI: 1.29-4.03) and death (RR 2.11; 95% CI: 1.21-3.66).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that weight change during breast-cancer chemotherapy treatment may be related to poorer prognosis with higher reccurence and higher mortality in comparison to women who maintained their weight.</p