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Science Advances Jun 2024Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is an emerging membrane technology that could revolutionize chemical separations in numerous vital industries. Despite its...
Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is an emerging membrane technology that could revolutionize chemical separations in numerous vital industries. Despite its significance, there remains a lack of fundamental understanding of solvent transport mechanisms in OSN membranes. Here, we use an extended Flory-Rehner theory, nonequilibrium molecular dynamic simulations, and organic solvent transport experiments to demonstrate that solvent flow in OSN membranes is driven by a pressure gradient. We show that solvent molecules migrate as clusters through interconnected pathways within the membrane pore structure, challenging the widely accepted diffusion-based view of solvent transport in OSN. We further reveal that solvent permeance is dependent on solvent affinity to the OSN membrane, which, in turn, controls the membrane pore structure. Our fundamental insights lay the scientific groundwork for the development of next-generation OSN membranes.
PubMed: 38875330
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4332 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected the utilization of rehabilitation services. Existing evidence investigating this issue at the...
INTRODUCTION
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected the utilization of rehabilitation services. Existing evidence investigating this issue at the nationwide level is lacking, and it is uncertain whether the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of rehabilitation therapy of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the rehabilitation therapy of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.
METHODS
We obtained data from South Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Agency for 2017-2021. By analyzing the claims data, we focused on rehabilitation therapy in individuals with CP under 18 years of age. We categorized these according to therapy type (physical, occupational, or dysphagia), medical facility, hospital visits, and insurance. We calculated the patient counts and average claims per person and compared the average from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic.
RESULTS
Over the 5 years, there was a significant decline in the number of patients undergoing rehabilitation therapy (trend = 0.004), but the average claims per person remained stable (trend = 0.971). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of claims per person decreased significantly compared to the control period ( = 0.013). Both the physical ( = 0.049) and occupational therapy groups ( = 0.019) showed significant differences in claims. General hospitals and hospitals experienced a decrease in average cases by 2.2 ( < 0.001) and 2.4 ( < 0.001) respectively, while long-term care hospitals increased by 3.1 cases ( < 0.001). Outpatients showed a decline of 2.0 cases ( < 0.001), whereas inpatients showed an increase of 5.9 cases ( < 0.001). Individuals with health insurance decreased by 0.5 cases ( = 0.007), but the decrease of 0.08 cases among medical aid-covered individuals was not statistically significant ( = 0.898).
CONCLUSION
In 2020-2021, the average number of claims per person showed a significant decrease compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (2017-2019). Depending on the type of treatment, the number of claims for physical and occupational therapy significantly decreased.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Child; Republic of Korea; Adolescent; Cerebral Palsy; Female; Male; Insurance, Health; Child, Preschool; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Insurance Claim Review
PubMed: 38873308
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1374766 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Affiliate stigma experienced by family caregivers of individuals with dementia may seriously affect home care and prognosis of these patients. This study aimed to...
BACKGROUND
Affiliate stigma experienced by family caregivers of individuals with dementia may seriously affect home care and prognosis of these patients. This study aimed to explore the levels of perceived affiliate stigma and its influencing factors among family caregivers of patients with dementia in mainland China, which remains a relatively unexplored topic.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, purposive sampling was used to recruit dementia family caregivers from an online communication group between April and May 2022. A total of 727 eligible caregivers were included and asked to complete the demographic questionnaire, the affiliate stigma scale, and the caregiver burden inventory. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to explore the factors that influence perceived affiliate stigma among dementia family caregivers.
RESULTS
The mean score for affiliate stigma of dementia family caregivers was 48.09 ± 16.38 (range: 22-86). Whether there were regular breaks during patient care, time-dependent burden, developmental burden, physical burden, and social burden were significant factors influencing the affiliate stigma of dementia family caregivers.
CONCLUSION
Dementia family caregivers showed a moderate to high level of affiliate stigma. Those who had regular breaks during patient care, higher time-dependent burden, developmental burden, and physical burden and lower social burden exhibited higher levels of affiliate stigma.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Caregivers; Dementia; China; Male; Female; Social Stigma; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Aged; Adult; Aged, 80 and over
PubMed: 38873291
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366143 -
Chemical Science Jun 2024Charge-shift bonds have been hypothesized as a third type of chemical bonds in addition to covalent and ionic bonds. They have first been described with valence bond...
Charge-shift bonds have been hypothesized as a third type of chemical bonds in addition to covalent and ionic bonds. They have first been described with valence bond theory where they are identified by the resonance energy resulting from ionic contributions. While other indicators have been described, a clear real space fingerprint for charge-shift bonding is still lacking. Probability density analysis has been developed as a real space method, allowing chemical bonding to be identified from the many-electron probability density || where the wave function can be obtained from any quantum chemical method. Recently, barriers of a probability potential, which depends on this density, have proven to be good measures for delocalization and covalent bonding. In this work, we employ many examples to demonstrate that a well-suited measure for charge-shift bonding can be defined within the framework of probability density analysis. This measure correlates well with the charge-shift resonance energy from valence bond theory and thus strongly supports the charge-shift bonding concept. It is, unlike the charge-shift resonance energy, not dependent on a reference state. Moreover, it is independent of the polarity of the bond, suggesting to characterize bonds in molecules by both their polarity and their charge-shift character.
PubMed: 38873066
DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01674b -
Journal of Neuroengineering and... Jun 2024In post-stroke rehabilitation, functional connectivity (FC), motor-related cortical potential (MRCP), and gait activities are common measures related to recovery...
BACKGROUND
In post-stroke rehabilitation, functional connectivity (FC), motor-related cortical potential (MRCP), and gait activities are common measures related to recovery outcomes. However, the interrelationship between FC, MRCP, gait activities, and bipedal distinguishability have yet to be investigated.
METHODS
Ten participants were equipped with EEG devices and inertial measurement units (IMUs) while performing lower limb motor preparation (MP) and motor execution (ME) tasks. MRCP, FCs, and bipedal distinguishability were extracted from the EEG signals, while the change in knee degree during the ME phase was calculated from the gait data. FCs were analyzed with pairwise Pearson's correlation, and the brain-wide FC was fed into support vector machine (SVM) for bipedal classification.
RESULTS
Parietal-frontocentral connectivity (PFCC) dysconnection and MRCP desynchronization were related to the MP and ME phases, respectively. Hemiplegic limb movement exhibited higher PFCC strength than nonhemiplegic limb movement. Bipedal classification had a short-lived peak of 75.1% in the pre-movement phase. These results contribute to a better understanding of the neurophysiological functions during motor tasks, with respect to localized MRCP and nonlocalized FC activities. The difference in PFCCs between both limbs could be a marker to understand the motor function of the brain of post-stroke patients.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we discovered that PFCCs are temporally dependent on lower limb gait movement and MRCP. The PFCCs are also related to the lower limb motor performance of post-stroke patients. The detection of motor intentions allows the development of bipedal brain-controlled exoskeletons for lower limb active rehabilitation.
Topics: Humans; Male; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation; Female; Middle Aged; Gait; Electroencephalography; Parietal Lobe; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Frontal Lobe; Aged; Adult; Motor Cortex; Support Vector Machine
PubMed: 38872209
DOI: 10.1186/s12984-024-01330-z -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024Since physical activity is an important determinant of physical and mental health, lower levels of physical activity among mothers reported in previous research are...
BACKGROUND
Since physical activity is an important determinant of physical and mental health, lower levels of physical activity among mothers reported in previous research are concerning. The aim of this study was to examine whether physical activity levels differ among mothers depending on the age of the youngest child.
METHODS
Cross-sectional data from the German National Cohort study, comprising 3959 mothers aged 22-72 years with offspring aged 0-54 years (grouped into 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18-29 and > 30 years) was used. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to assess physical activity among mothers in leisure time, transport and (occupational and non-occupational) work settings, quantified as MET-minutes per week. Means (with 95% confidence interval) of mothers' weekly MET-minutes were visualized in graphs, stratified by mothers' and the youngest child's age. Linear regression analyses assessed the association between the child's age and self-reported time and intensity of mothers' physical activity within each activity domain and for the total physical activity.
RESULTS
Adjusted results suggested that the MET-minutes in work settings were lower among mothers with younger children. This association was clearest in mothers whose youngest child was under 12 years old, among whom lower self-reported physical activity at work compared to mothers with children at age 30 and older was found. No association was observed between the age of the youngest child and mothers' MET-minutes in leisure nor in transport settings. The self-reported physical activity of mothers whose youngest child was in the same child age group was found to be lower with increased maternal age. As expected, the work related activity dominated the self-reported physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS
The results show differences in mothers' self-reported physical activity by the age of the youngest child. The strongest difference was related to physical activity in work settings, indicating the need for supportive actions.
Topics: Humans; Germany; Adult; Child, Preschool; Female; Middle Aged; Mothers; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Adolescent; Young Adult; Infant; Cohort Studies; Aged; Age Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Leisure Activities; Motor Activity; Exercise; Infant, Newborn; Male
PubMed: 38872147
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19055-y -
BMC Geriatrics Jun 2024Reviews of depression interventions in nursing home residents resulted in positive findings. However, because of the heterogeneity of the studies, it remains unclear... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Reviews of depression interventions in nursing home residents resulted in positive findings. However, because of the heterogeneity of the studies, it remains unclear what works for whom. Considering moderator effects may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of depression treatment in residents. Therefore, this study aims to review depression interventions, examining moderator effects of (1) residents' factors, and (2) components specific of interventions.
METHODS
A Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials primarily aimed at reducing depressive symptoms among residents was conducted. First, intervention types, e.g., exercise interventions, were compared to care as usual. Second, meta-regression analyses were conducted for moderator effects of residents' factors (i.e., severity of depressive symptoms, physical dependency, and cognitive impairment) and components identified as specific to an intervention (e.g., music, creativity, positivity).
RESULTS
Our search across six databases resulted in 118 eligible studies: 16 on neurobiological interventions, 102 on non-pharmacological interventions. Compared to care as usual, cognitive interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and goal-oriented therapy, showed the strongest effects (MD = -1.00, 95% CrI [-1.40 to -0.66]). Furthermore, the severity of depressive symptoms moderated the effect of interventions (ƅ = -0.63, CrI 95% [-1.04 to -0.22]), while none of fifteen identified intervention-specific components did. In residents with a depression diagnosis, there were larger effect sizes for interventions including daily structure, psychoeducation, healthy food, creativity, positivity, and an activating/encouraging environment, whereas interventions focusing on distraction and relaxation had larger effect sizes in those residents without.
CONCLUSIONS
By examining the moderator effects, we provided an integrative perspective on the observed variations in effects across different target groups, and components of depression interventions. This approach underscores the complex nature of interventions, emphasizing the need for continued transdisciplinary research, and the exploration of potential moderators. Future investigations should carefully assess residents' factors and choose interventions and their components accordingly.
Topics: Humans; Nursing Homes; Bayes Theorem; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Depression; Aged; Network Meta-Analysis; Homes for the Aged
PubMed: 38872075
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05117-8 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Decreases in body sizes of animals related to recent climate warming can affect population persistence and stability. However, direct observations of average sizes over...
Decreases in body sizes of animals related to recent climate warming can affect population persistence and stability. However, direct observations of average sizes over time and their interrelationships with underlying density-dependent and density-independent processes remain poorly understood owing to the lack of appropriate long-term datasets. We measured body size of two species common to headwater streams in coastal and Cascades ecoregions of the Pacific Northwest of North America over multiple decades, comparing old-growth and managed forests. We found consistent decreases in median length of Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii, but a coexisting species, the Coastal Giant Salamander Dicamptodon tenebrosus, appears to be more resilient to size changes over time. Based on observed trends, adult trout have decreased in length by 6-13% over the last 30 years. Length decreased more in larger compared to smaller animals, suggesting that these effects reflect changes in growth trajectories. Results from a model-selection approach that included hydroclimatic and biological information as covariates in one of our study ecoregions demonstrated that stream temperature alone did not explain observed length reductions. Rather, a combination of density-dependent (animal abundances) and local density-independent factors (temperature, habitat, and streamflow) explained observed patterns of size. Continued decreases in size could lead to trophic cascades, biodiversity loss, or in extreme cases, species extirpation. However, the intricate links between density-independent and density-dependent factors in controlling population-level processes in streams need further attention.
Topics: Animals; Urodela; Body Size; Trout; Ecosystem; Rivers; Climate Change; Temperature
PubMed: 38871823
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64145-x -
PloS One 2024Quantum annealing machines are next-generation computers for solving combinatorial optimization problems. Although physical simulations are one of the most promising...
Quantum annealing machines are next-generation computers for solving combinatorial optimization problems. Although physical simulations are one of the most promising applications of quantum annealing machines, a method how to embed the target problem into the machines has not been developed except for certain simple examples. In this study, we focus on a method of representing real numbers using binary variables, or quantum bits. One of the most important problems for conducting physical simulation by quantum annealing machines is how to represent the real number with quantum bits. The variables in physical simulations are often represented by real numbers but real numbers must be represented by a combination of binary variables in quantum annealing, such as quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO). Conventionally, real numbers have been represented by assigning each digit of their binary number representation to a binary variable. Considering the classical annealing point of view, we noticed that when real numbers are represented in binary numbers, there are numbers that can only be reached by inverting several bits simultaneously under the restriction of not increasing a given Hamiltonian, which makes the optimization very difficult. In this work, we propose three new types of real number representation and compared these representations under the problem of solving linear equations. As a result, we found experimentally that the accuracy of the solution varies significantly depending on how the real numbers are represented. We also found that the most appropriate representation depends on the size and difficulty of the problem to be solved and that these differences show a consistent trend for two annealing solvers. Finally, we explain the reasons for these differences using simple models, the minimum required number of simultaneous bit flips, one-way probabilistic bit-flip energy minimization, and simulation of ideal quantum annealing machine.
Topics: Algorithms; Computer Simulation; Models, Theoretical
PubMed: 38870161
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304594 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Two-dimensional (2D) materials promise advances in electronic devices beyond Moore's scaling law through extended functionality, such as non-monotonic dependence of...
Two-dimensional (2D) materials promise advances in electronic devices beyond Moore's scaling law through extended functionality, such as non-monotonic dependence of device parameters on input parameters. However, the robustness and performance of effects like negative differential resistance (NDR) and anti-ambipolar behavior have been limited in scale and robustness by relying on atomic defects and complex heterojunctions. In this paper, we introduce a novel device concept that utilizes the quantum capacitance of junctions between 2D materials and molecular layers. We realized a variable capacitance 2D molecular junction (vc2Dmj) diode through the scalable integration of graphene and single layers of stearic acid. The vc2Dmj exhibits NDR with a substantial peak-to-valley ratio even at room temperature and an active negative resistance region. The origin of this unique behavior was identified through thermoelectric measurements and ab initio calculations to be a hybridization effect between graphene and the molecular layer. The enhancement of device parameters through morphology optimization highlights the potential of our approach toward new functionalities that advance the landscape of future electronics.
PubMed: 38869597
DOI: 10.3390/nano14110972