Browse Articles

Employing foreign caregivers: A qualitative study of the perspectives of older stroke survivors

Background Global populations are aging, and the numbers of stroke survivors is increasing. Consequently, the need for caregiver support has increased. Because of this and demographic and socioeconomic changes, foreign caregivers are increasingly in demand in many developed countries. Therefore, the perspectives of older adult care recipients regarding foreign caregivers warrants attention. This study explored the experiences of older stroke survivors receiving care from foreign caregivers in Taiwan, examining their expectations, needs, and challenges. Methods This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews with 23 older stroke survivors (mean age, 73.4 years; women, 47.8%). Thematic analysis was applied to transcribed data, with reflective memos aiding in meaning derivation. Methodological rigor was ensured through member checking, triangulation, and auditing. Results Three major themes emerged: the motivations for hiring a foreign caregiver, expectations of stroke survivors toward foreign caregivers, and challenges related to employing foreign caregivers. Stroke survivors expected foreign caregivers to be obedient, embrace the local language and culture, and be proficient in caregiving and homemaking. Various challenges, including communication difficulties, cultural differences, skill gaps, and unfavorable attitudes and behaviors among caregivers, were noted. Conclusions Foreign caregivers are a major part of the long-term care workforce and play a crucial role in stroke rehabilitation in aging Asian societies. Older stroke survivors often hire foreign caregivers to alleviate caregiving burdens, and they typically expect foreign caregivers to conform to their needs. However, employing foreign caregivers can be frustrating and stressful. Government intervention and open dialogue is necessary to improve care quality and prevent recurring caregiving problems and conflicts.

Investigating skyrmion stability and core polarity reversal in NdMn2Ge2

AbstractWe present a study on nanoscale skyrmionic spin textures in $$\hbox {NdMn}_{{2}}\hbox {Ge}_{{2}}$$, a rare-earth complex noncollinear ferromagnet. We confirm, using X-ray microscopy, that $$\hbox {NdMn}_{{2}}\hbox {Ge}_{{2}}$$ can host lattices of metastable skyrmion bubbles at room temperature in the absence of a magnetic field, after applying a suitable field cooling protocol. The skyrmion bubbles are robust against temperature changes from room temperature to 330 K. Furthermore, the skyrmion bubbles can be distorted, deformed, and recovered by varying strength and orientation of the applied magnetic field. We have used nitrogen-vacancy nanoscale magnetic imaging to estimate and map the magnetic stray fields originating from our $$\hbox {NdMn}_{{2}}\hbox {Ge}_{{2}}$$ lamella samples and find stray field magnitudes on the order of a few mT near the sample surface. Micromagnetic simulations show an overall agreement with the observed behaviour of the sample under different magnetic field protocols. We also find that the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is not required to reproduce our experimental results. Its inclusion in the simulation leads to a reversal of the skyrmionic object core polarity, which is not experimentally observed. Our results further corroborate the stability and robustness of the skyrmion bubbles formed in $${\hbox {NdMn}_2\hbox {Ge}_2}$$ and their potential for future spintronic applications.

The influence of Nusselt number on dropwise condensation heat transfer for a single droplet on inclined and grooved surfaces

Engineering 2D spin networks by on-surface encapsulation of azafullerene radicals in nanotemplates

Analysis and research on water hammer protection measures based on KY PIPE for long distance pumping station water transmission engineering with pump stoppage

Diacylglycerol kinase alpha regulates post-hepatectomy liver regeneration

VTA projections to M1 are essential for reorganization of layer 2-3 network dynamics underlying motor learning

A safety and feasibility randomized placebo controlled trial exploring electroencephalographic effective connectivity neurofeedback treatment for fibromyalgia

Impact of Exon 1 polymorphism in the MBL2 gene on MBL serum levels and infection susceptibility in acute lymphoid leukemia

Excitable Ras dynamics-based screens reveal RasGEFX is required for macropinocytosis and random cell migration

Sensitivity analysis and dynamics of brucellosis infection disease in cattle with control incident rate by using fractional derivative

Regulation of meristem and hormone function revealed through analysis of directly-regulated SHOOT MERISTEMLESS target genes

AbstractThe Arabidopsis Knotted1-like homeobox (KNOX) gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) encodes a homeodomain transcription factor that operates as a central component of the gene regulatory network (GRN) controlling shoot apical meristem formation and maintenance. It regulates the expression of target genes that include transcriptional regulators associated with meristem function, particularly those involved in pluripotency and cellular differentiation, as well as genes involved in hormone metabolism and signaling. Previous studies have identified KNOX-regulated genes and their associated cis-regulatory elements in several plant species. However, little is known about STM-DNA interactions in the regulatory regions of target genes in Arabidopsis. Here, we identify and map STM binding sites in the Arabidopsis genome using global ChIP-seq analysis to reveal potential directly-regulated STM target genes. We show that in the majority of target loci, STM binds within 1 kb upstream of the TSS, with other loci showing STM binding at more distal enhancer sites, and we reveal enrichment of DNA motifs containing a TGAC and/or TGAT core in STM-bound target gene cis-regulatory elements. We further demonstrate that many STM-bound genes are transcriptionally responsive to altered levels of STM activity, and show that among these, transcriptional regulators with key roles in meristem and hormone function are highly represented. Finally, we use a subset of these target genes to perform Bayesian network analysis to infer gene regulatory associations and to construct a refined GRN for STM-mediated control of meristem function.

General synthesis of neighboring dual-atomic sites with a specific pre-designed distance via an interfacial-fixing strategy

Parasites specific to centipedes form a new major lineage of terrestrial gregarines

AbstractGregarines from the families Dactylophoridae and Trichorhynchidae parasitize exclusively centipedes and have a distinct morphology among other terrestrial eugregarines, but their evolutionary relationships have not yet been studied with molecular methods. Here we obtain rDNA operon sequences for the dactylophorids and trichorhynchids. We describe a new species Trichorhynchus efeykini sp. n. from a scutigeromorph Thereuopoda longicornis from Vietnam. Phylogenetic analyses with combined SSU, 5.8S and LSU rDNA dataset support the previously proposed separation of Trichorhynchus to the Trichorhynchidae based on morphology and recover the dactylophorids and trichorhynchids as sister groups in a monophyletic clade. This clade appears sister to the clade of the Actinocephaloidea and Stylocephaloidea, and represents a new major lineage of terrestrial gregarines that we designate as a new superfamily Dactylophoroidea.

Annual migrations, vertical habitat use and fidelity of Atlantic bluefin tuna tracked from waters off the United Kingdom

Abstract Understanding the spatial ecology of commercially exploited species is vital for their conservation. Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, ABT) are increasingly observed in northeast Atlantic waters, yet knowledge of these individuals’ spatial ecology remains limited. We investigate the horizontal and vertical habitat use of ABT (158 to 241 cm curved fork length; CFL) tracked from waters off the United Kingdom (UK) using pop-up satellite archival tags (n = 63). Analyses reveal distinctive movements from the UK to the Bay of Biscay (BoB) and Central North Atlantic between September and December, and size-specific habitat preferences in May and July—all ABT < 175 cm CFL inhabiting the BoB and 73% of ABT ≥ 175 the Mediterranean Sea. All ABT tracked for more than 300 days (n = 25) returned to waters off the UK the following year, where most stayed (n = 22; 88%) and three continuing north with deployments ending off northwest Ireland. ABT mostly occupied waters between 0 and 20 m (daytime 49 ± 6% of time; nighttime 71 ± 6%). Vertical habitat use was coupled with illumination, mean depth occupied, maximum depth reached, and vertical movement rate increased during the daytime and when moons were brightest. These data provide valuable insights into the spatial ecology of ABT reoccupying northerly foraging areas following decades of absence.

Modulating synaptic plasticity with metal−organic framework for information-filterable artificial retina

Effect of partial and total replacement of fishmeal by soybean meal in feed on growth and gut performance of Penaeus vannamei

lncRNA CHAF1B-2 contributes to the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Abstract Lnc-CHAF1B-2, a newly discovered long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), plays a significant role in the evolution and prognosis of diverse neoplasms. However, its role in the development of gastric cancer is not yet fully understood. Using bioinformatics analysis of gastric cancer RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we investigated the expression of lnc-CHAF1B-2 in gastric carcinoma and its associated molecular signalling pathways. Verification through an array of in vivo and in vitro experiments—namely, EdU incorporation, flow cytometry, trans-well migration and invasion assays, subcutaneous tumour formation in nude mice, and western blot analysis—was conducted. We revealed notable upregulation of lnc-CHAF1B-2 in gastric cancer tissues. Furthermore, a positive correlation was detected between lnc-CHAF1B-2 levels and the occurrence of distant metastases in patients, which was inversely related to their prognostic outlook and survival rates. Moreover, our findings confirmed that lnc-CHAF1B-2 enhanced the proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells while inhibiting apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, lnc-CHAF1B-2 promoted the progression of gastric cancer through activating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Thus, lnc-CHAF1B-2 and its regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway have emerged as prospective therapeutic targets in gastric cancer management.

Development and validation of a real-time prediction model for acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients

Exploring the catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of Namibian encroacher bush

AbstractAn urgent ecological issue is the threat posed by invasive species, which are becoming more widespread especially in Africa. These encroachments damage ecosystems, pose a threat to biodiversity, and outcompete local plants and animals. This article focuses on converting Acacia Mellifera from Namibia, commonly known as encroacher bush (EB) into high-quality drop-in intermediates for the chemical and transport industry via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). HTL tackles the growing need for sustainable energy carriers while simultaneously halting the spread of the invasive species. A surface response methodology was used to optimize the HTL process for the following operational conditions: temperature (250–340 °C), residence time (5–60 min) and catalyst loading (0–10 wt%). The catalyst of choice was determined after evaluating the energy recovery (ER) of four different catalysts (Zeolite, La2O3, Hydrotalcite, Ni/SiO2–Al2O3) under the same HTL operational conditions. The results indicate that the addition of hydrotalcite results in high yields of bio-crude oil (13–28 wt%), without compromising the high heating value (HHV, 26–31 MJ/kg), water content (0.47 wt%) or increasing the content of oxygenated compounds compared to the non-catalytic experiment. For the experimental conditions tested, we observed a global maximum in conversion in the 330 °C and 30 min range. Our findings indicate that the most significant factor on the conversion of EB into bio-crude oil was temperature, followed by the catalyst loading. Furthermore, biochars produced at 330 °C and 30 min show potential as solid biofuels with HHVs up to 28.30 MJ/kg.