Interventions to prevent loneliness in older adults living in nursing homes

Introduction: The number of older adults is increasing worldwide, as a result their need for institutionalized care is rising. One of the problems older adults experience when going to a nursing home is loneliness. Loneliness affects the person quality of life, so it is vital to help prevent it with appropriate interventions. Objective: To explore the different kind of interventions to prevent loneliness of older adults living in nursing homes. Methodology: This systematic review used three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo) and searched for articles from 2010 to 2020 using search terms like “older adults”, “prevent”, “loneliness”, and “intervention”. From an initial 124 articles, 16 articles were selected at the end. Results: Two main themes were found: person-to-person/group interventions and technological interventions. All interventions showed positive results in reducing the perception of loneliness. Group interventions showed high success on reduction of loneliness. For technological intervention, the use of a pet robot created an atmosphere where residents socialize. Videoconferencing and messaging showed the need of a third party implication. Conclusion: Interventions found in this review are an effective way of alleviating loneliness even if interventions were vaguely described, and there was not follow up for long-term effectiveness.Introducción: El número de personas mayores está incrementando en todo el mundo, por lo que la necesidad de cuidados para personas institucionalizadas aumentará. Uno de los problemas que las personas mayores experimentan cuando van a una residencia es la soledad. La soledad afecta a la calidad de vida de las personas, por lo que es importante prevenirla mediante intervenciones apropiadas. Objetivo: Presentar diferentes tipos de intervenciones para prevenir la soledad en personas mayores institucionalizadas. Material y métodos: Está revisión utilizó tres bases de datos (PubMed, CINAHL y PsycInfo) y se buscaron artículos entre los años 2010-2020. Se utilizaron términos cómo “older adults”, “prevent”, “loneliness” y “intervention”. De una selección inicial de 124 artículos, se seleccionaron 16 artículos. Resultados: Se encontraron dos temas principales: intervenciones entre personas o grupos de personas e intervenciones tecnológicas. Todas las intervenciones mostraron resultados positivos. Las intervenciones grupales mostraron una gran efectividad. Las intervenciones de videoconferencias y mensajes necesitaban a una tercera personas para poder llevarse a cabo. Las relacionadas con el robot Paro creaban una atmósfera donde los residentes les resultaba más fácil interaccionar. Conclusiones: Las intervenciones fueron efectivas para aliviar la soledad, a pesar de descripciones imprecisas de las intervenciones y la falta de seguimiento a largo plazo

Antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds and colour of red wines treated with new fining agents

Nowadays the clarification and stabilization of red wines is generally done with conventional fining agents, like bentonite and activated coal, which pose a major challenge to environmental security and wastes management. This stimulated the use of many new techniques in order to discover alternative fining agents that don’t have negative influence on color, phenolic compounds and quality parameters. The aim of this research is to determine, how alternative fining agents, in different doses, affect antioxidant activity and colour parameters of 'Cabernet Sauvignon' red wines. Experimental material is from North-East Romania and was fined with mesoporous materials, bentonite and activated coal. Discriminant analysis classified 'Cabernet Sauvignon' wines according to the different fining agents based on total polyphenolic compounds and total antioxidant activity. Alternative fining agents, as mesoporous materials, have less impact on the colour and phenolic content of red wines in contrast to activated coal and bentonite treatments that can conduct to unsatisfying characteristics. Mesoporous materials are preferable and could be an exceptional adsorbent for polyphenolic compounds

The Relationship of Lid Wiper Epitheliopathy to Ocular Surface Signs and Symptoms.

Purpose:There has been interest in determining whether lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE) plays a key role in causing ocular discomfort. Conflicting reports have made it difficult to discern whether LWE is more prevalent in certain populations, what characteristics are associated with its severity, and what its role is in symptomology. This cross-sectional study on a large and diverse population attempts to answer these questions. Methods:Subjects were asked to complete questionnaires related to dry eye and to ocular discomfort. A comprehensive set of ocular surface parameters were assessed, including LWE length and width, tear-film lipid layer thickness, fluorescein tear breakup time (FTBUT), lid-parallel conjunctival folds (LIPCOF), and corneal staining. Results:A total of 287 subjects participated in the study. LWE was observed in 45% of the study cohort and was twice as prevalent in Asians than non-Asians (P < 0.005). LWE was more likely to present in contact lens wearers than non-contact lens wearers (P = 0.03). Decreased FTBUT was associated with increased LWE length and width (P < 0.005 and P = 0.01, respectively), although only a small effect size was noted. Presence of LIPCOF was linked with a 0.25-grade increase in LWE width (P = 0.01). Only LWE width was associated with greater symptoms in contact lens wearers. Conclusions:LWE was associated with decreased tear-film stability, contact lens wear, lid anatomy, and LIPCOF. LWE was not associated with symptoms in non-contact lens wearers. LWE width was associated with greater symptoms in contact lens wearers but was only clinically significant with moderate to severe LWE width

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of linezolid in neurosurgical critically ill patients with proven or suspected central nervous system infections

Linezolid is a valuable treatment option for central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive micro-organisms. Data regarding its penetration into the CNS have shown wide variability. The aim of this study was to describe the population pharmacokinetics of linezolid in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in critically ill patients with external CSF drainage and proven or suspected CNS infections. This was an observational pharmacokinetic (PK) study in 11 critically ill patients with proven or suspected CNS infection receiving linezolid. Serial blood and CSF samples were taken and were subject to population PK analysis. The median (interquartile range) of AUC(0-12h) was 47.6 (17.9-58.6) mg h/L in plasma and 21.1(18.8-30.4) mg h/L in CSF, with a median CSF/plasma ratio of 0.77. At pre-dose at steady state, a strong positive correlation was observed between linezolid concentrations in CSF and plasma (Spearman's rho = 0.758; P = 0.011). For a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/L, the median AUC(0-24h)/MIC values in plasma and CSF wer

La cultura dei materiali e il lato sensoriale del progetto / The material cultures and the sensory side of the project

L’ambito della cultura dei materiali per il design, oggi, si presenta quale disciplina variegata e multiforme: tale contesto, infatti, è studiato attraverso metodi, metodologie e approcci differenti, appartenenti a scienze e saperi spesso anche distanti tra loro, quali discipline delle aree tecnico-scientifiche e discipline umanistiche. I materiali (per il progetto) sono infatti indagati principalmente da due tipi di conoscenze, la prima più tecnica e la seconda più estetico-sensoriale. L’articolo si focalizzerà su quest’ultima, porgendo particolare attenzione ai sensi del tatto, dell’udito e dell’olfatto, quali “strumenti” per il progettista per la progettazione corretta della loro user experience, della percezione, emozione e reazione che una persona prova quando si interfaccia con essi. / Today, the field of the culture of materials for design is a variegated and multi-form discipline: this context, in fact, is investigated through different methods, methodologies and approaches, belonging to sciences and knowledge that are often very distant from each other, such as disciplines of technical-scientific areas and humanities. The materials (for the project) are, in fact, investigated mainly by two types of knowledge, a more technical one and a more aesthetic-sensorial one. The article will focus on the latter, paying particular attention to the senses of touch, hearing and smell, as “tools” for the designer looking for the correct design of their user experience, perception, emotion and reaction when interfacing with them

A Wavy Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework from Core-Twisted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A high degree of crystallinity is an essential aspect in two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks, as many properties depend strongly on the structural arrangement of the different layers and their constituents. We introduce herein a new design strategy based on core-twisted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as rigid nodes that give rise to a two-dimensional covalent organic framework with a wavy honeycomb (chairlike) lattice. The concave–convex self-complementarity of the wavy two-dimensional lattice guides the stacking of framework layers into a highly stable and ordered covalent organic framework that allows a full 3D analysis by transmission electron microscopy revealing its chairlike honeycomb facets and aligned mesoporous channels. Remarkably, the waviness of the framework does not disrupt the interlayer π–π stacking that shows charge transporting properties similar to those of planar covalent organic frameworks. The implementation of core-twisted aromatics as building blocks for covalent organic frameworks brings new possibilities in the design of highly ordered organic materials

Effect of Linker Distribution in the Photocatalytic Activity of Multivariate Mesoporous Crystals

The use of Metal-Organic Frameworks as crystalline matrices for the synthesis of multiple component or multivariate solids by the combination of different linkers into a single material has emerged as a versatile route to tailor the properties of single-component phases or even access new functions. This approach is particularly relevant for Zr6-MOFs due to the synthetic flexibility of this inorganic node. However, the majority of materials are isolated as polycrystalline solids, which are not ideal to decipher the spatial arrangement of parent and exchanged linkers for the formation of homogeneous structures or heterogeneous domains across the solid. Here we use high-throughput methodologies to optimize the synthesis of single crystals of UiO-68 and UiO-68-TZDC, a photoactive analogue based on a tetrazine dicarboxylic derivative. The analysis of the single linker phases reveals the necessity of combining both linkers to produce multivariate frameworks that combine efficient light sensitization, chemical stability, and porosity, all relevant to photocatalysis. We use solvent-assisted linker exchange reactions to produce a family of UiO-68-TZDC% binary frameworks, which respect the integrity and morphology of the original crystals. Our results suggest that the concentration of TZDC in solution and the reaction time control the distribution of this linker in the sibling crystals for a uniform mixture or the formation of core-shell domains. We also demonstrate how the possibility of generating an asymmetric distribution of both linkers has a negligible effect on the electronic structure and optical band gap of the solids but controls their performance for drastic changes in the photocatalytic activity toward proton or methyl viologen reduction.This work was supported by the EU (ERC Stg Chem-fs-MOF 714122) and Spanish government (CTQ2017-83486-P, RTI2018-098568-A-I00, RYC-2016-1981, CEX2019-000919-M, PID2019-106383GB-C44/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and RTI2018-098568-A-I00). B.L.-B. thanks the Spanish government for a FPU (FPU16/04162). S.T. thanks the Spanish government for a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC-2016-60719817). N.M.P. thanks the European Union for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016-GF-749359-EnanSET). J.G.P. thanks to the SIDIX at Servicios Generales de Apoyo a la Investigación (SEGAI) at La Laguna University. We also thank BSC-RES for computational resources (QS-2020-2-0024) and the University of Valencia for research facilities (Tirant and NANBIOSIS).Peer reviewe

Three dimensional nanoscale analysis reveals aperiodic mesopores in a covalent organic framework and conjugated microporous polymer

The integrated analytical approach developed in this study offers a powerful methodology for the structural characterisation of complex molecular nanomaterials. Structures of a covalent organic framework based on boronate esters (COF-5) and a conjugated microporous polymer (Aza-CMP) have been investigated by a combination of several electron microscopy techniques elucidating the three-dimensional topology of the complex polycrystalline (COF) and non-crystalline (CMP) materials. Unexpected, aperiodic mesoporous channels of 20-50 nm in diameter were found to be penetrating the COF and CMP particles, which cannot be detected by X-ray diffraction techniques. The mesopores appear to be stable under a range of different conditions and accessible to gas molecules, exhibiting a particular bonding capability with CO2 in the case of the CMP. The mesoporosity is unrelated to the intrinsic chemical structures of the COF or CMP but rather it reflects the mechanisms of polymer particle formation in a polycondensation reaction. The mesopores may be templated by clusters of solvent molecules during the COF or CMP synthesis, leaving cavities within the polymer particles. The unexpected mesoporosity discovered in COF and CMP materials begs for re-assessment of the nature of framework materials and may open new opportunities for applications of these molecular materials in gas sorption or catalysis

An Expanded 2D Fused Aromatic Network with 90-Ring Hexagons

Two-dimensional fused aromatic networks (2D FANs) have emerged as a highly versatile alternative to holey graphene. The synthesis of 2D FANs with increasingly larger lattice dimensions will enable new application perspectives. However, the synthesis of larger analogues is mostly limited by lack of appropriate monomers and methods. Herein, we describe the synthesis, characterisation and properties of an expanded 2D FAN with 90-ring hexagons, which exceed the largest 2D FAN lattices reported to date

T Cell Chemo-Vaccination Effects after Repeated Mucosal SHIV Exposures and Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with anti-viral drugs is currently in clinical trials for the prevention of HIV infection. Induction of adaptive immune responses to virus exposures during anti-viral drug administration, i.e., a “chemo-vaccination” effect, could contribute to PrEP efficacy. To study possible chemo-vaccination, we monitored humoral and cellular immune responses in nine rhesus macaques undergoing up to 14 weekly, low-dose SHIVSF162P3 rectal exposures. Six macaques concurrently received PrEP with intermittent, oral Truvada; three were no-PrEP controls. PrEP protected 4 macaques from infection. Two of the four showed evidence of chemo-vaccination, because they developed anti-SHIV CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; SHIV-specific antibodies were not detected. Control macaques showed no anti-SHIV immune responses before infection. Chemo-vaccination-induced T cell responses were robust (up to 3,940 SFU/106 PBMCs), predominantly central memory cells, short-lived (≤22 weeks), and appeared intermittently and with changing specificities. The two chemo-vaccinated macaques were virus-challenged again after 28 weeks of rest, after T cell responses had waned. One macaque was not protected from infection. The other macaque concurrently received additional PrEP. It remained uninfected and T cell responses were boosted during the additional virus exposures. In summary, we document and characterize PrEP-induced T cell chemo-vaccination. Although not protective after subsiding in one macaque, chemo-vaccination-induced T cells warrant more comprehensive analysis during peak responses for their ability to prevent or to control infections after additional exposures. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring these responses in clinical PrEP trials and suggest that a combination of vaccines and PrEP potentially might enhance efficacy