effective interventions

BACKGROUND: Variability in patient care settings and the range of patient handling tasks present challenges in developing and evaluating safe patient handling and mobilization (SPHM) programs. OBJECTIVE: We performed a systematic meta-analysis of SPHM program evaluations. METHODS: Systematic literature review identified published SPHM program evaluations. Injury Rate Ratios (IRR), pre- to post-intervention, were used to estimate intervention effects and to examine the influence of patient care level, program components, and follow-up time using meta-regression...

BACKGROUND: Individuals living with traumatic brain injury commonly have difficulties with prospective memory- the ability to remember a planned action at the intended time. Traditionally a memory notebook has been recommended as a compensatory memory aid. Electronic devices have the advantage of providing a cue at the appropriate time to remind participants to refer to the memory aid and complete tasks. Research suggests these have potential benefit in neurorehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a memory notebook and specifically a smartphone as a compensatory memory aid...

Aerobic training (AT) is a promising, non-pharmacological intervention to mitigate the deleterious effects of aging and disease on brain health. However, a large amount of variation exists in its efficacy. This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of AT in 71 older adults with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (NCT01027858). Specifically, we investigated: 1) whether sex moderates the relationship between AT and executive functions, and 2) the role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and gains in functional fitness capacity...

Several studies have indicated that neuroinflammation is indeed associated with neurodegenerative disease pathology. However, failures of recent clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents in neurodegenerative disorders have emphasized the need to better understand the complexity of the neuroinflammatory process in order to unravel its link with neurodegeneration. Deregulation of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) activity by production of its hyperactivator p25 is involved in the formation of tau and amyloid pathology reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease (AD)...

The topic of gut microbiota is currently attracting considerable interest as a potential factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the extent and time course of alterations in the gut microbiota, and their effects on AD pathology remain uncertain. Herein, we compared the fecal microbiomes and fecal short chain fatty acid composition (SCFAs) between wild-type and AD model mice at different ages under strictly controlled specific pathogen free conditions, and also conducted microscopic investigations of intestinal structures...

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of degenerative dementia in the aging population. Patients with AD have alterations in cerebral hemodynamic function including reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate. Therefore, improved cerebrovascular function may be an attractive goal for pharmaceutical intervention in AD. OBJECTIVE: We wished to observe the acute effects of sildenafil on cerebrovascular function and brain metabolism in patients with AD...

BACKGROUND: Blood viscosity (BV) might influence glucose delivery to peripheral tissues and play an important role in insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. However, the exact relationship between BV and insulin resistance is not yet clear. OBJECTIVES: Aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of the acute reduction in BV on insulin resistance, in healthy male subjects. METHODS: Fifteen healthy male blood donors have been studied before and 48 hours after blood donation...

Besides the crucial role of hyperinsulinemia in the development of breast cancer with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), it has been shown that hyperglycemia could contribute to promote cancer progression. A remarkable association within hyperglycemia, PKCδ and Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has been reported, suggesting that PKCδ may mediate high glucose-induced UPS activation in breast cancer cells. Although the independent effects of PKCδ or UPS on breast cancer and T2DM are increasingly supported by experimental evidence, the complex interactional link between PKCδ and UPS is still unclear...

PURPOSE: Although the fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) and irisin roles are well demonstrated in metabolic disease, there have been no reports investigating the effect of resistance exercise on FGF-21 and irisin levels in diabetic skeletal muscles. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the change of FGF-21 and irisin levels in various skeletal muscles, and their association with muscle strength, following 8 weeks of resistance training using Zucker diabetic fatty rats (type 2 diabetic animal models)...

BACKGROUND: This is one of a series of reviews of methods of cervical ripening and labour induction. The use of complementary therapies is increasing. Women may look to complementary therapies during pregnancy and childbirth to be used alongside conventional medical practice. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points of the body. Acupressure is using the thumbs or fingers to apply pressure to specific points. The limited observational studies to date suggest acupuncture for induction of labour has no known adverse effects to the fetus, and may be effective...

Objectives: Despite the decline in the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with schizophrenia, ECT augmentation is still recommended for those with poor response to standard pharmacological intervention. However, the effectiveness of augmentation of antipsychotics with ECT on long-term clinical outcomes needs to be verified in an expanded sample. Methods: Patients who were hospitalized for schizophrenia and received ECT for the first time during that hospitalization were identified from the total population health insurance database in Taiwan between 2002 and 2011...

Background: At-risk alcohol use is associated bi-directionally to unemployment, and decreases chances of re-employment. Brief alcohol interventions (BAI) can reduce at-risk alcohol use. This study aimed to investigate 15-month effects of BAI on unemployment among persons with at-risk alcohol use. Methods: As part of the randomized controlled 'Trial on proactive alcohol interventions among job-seekers, TOPAS', 1243 18- to 64-year-old job-seekers with at-risk alcohol use were systematically recruited at three job agencies in Germany (2008/09), and randomized to (i) a stage tailored intervention based on the trans-theoretical model of intentional behavior change (ST), (ii) a non-stage tailored intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (NST) and (iii) assessment only (AO)...

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor for CV events. Our aim was to estimate the relative CV risk of LVH in the presence of CAC. Methods: We included asymptomatic hypertensive patients who were enrolled in the calcification arm of the INSIGHT (International Nifedipine Study Intervention as Goal for Hypertension Therapy). Patients had baseline echocardiography and computed tomography (CT) to assess CAC...

Psychosocial interventions have significant but modest impact on negative symptoms and functioning in schizophrenia. Identifying mechanisms of change in these interventions can inform treatment targets to strengthen these interventions. A number of studies have found associations between dysfunctional attitudes negative symptoms and functioning in schizophrenia. We previously found improvement in experiential negative symptoms and functioning in cognitive-behavioral social skills training (CBSST) in participants with schizophrenia (N = 149), and the present study examined whether improvements in CBSST in that trial were mediated by the group effect on defeatist performance attitudes and asocial beliefs...

Oral health can be measured from the perspective of the professional (objectively) and from the perspective of the patient (subjectively). However, objective and subjective oral health do not match well. The focus of this research, then, is the relationship between objective oral health, subjective oral health and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children. These relationships were considered in connection with orthodontic problems. The research was carried out as part of the Generation R Study, a prospective study of the health of 10,000 children in Rotterdam, the Netherlands...

BACKGROUND: Cooling the lower abdomen is one of the Japanese traditional non-pharmacological prophylactic managements for postpartum hemorrhage. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cooling the lower abdomen in reducing postpartum blood loss compared with no intervention. In both cases, women delivered vaginally without prophylactic oxytocin in the third stage of labor. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, the lower abdomen was cooled by placement of an 8...

We develop a framework for rendering photographic images by directly optimizing their perceptual similarity to the original visual scene. Specifically, over the set of all images that can be rendered on a given display, we minimize the normalized Laplacian pyramid distance (NLPD), a measure of perceptual dissimilarity that is derived from a simple model of the early stages of the human visual system. When rendering images acquired with a higher dynamic range than that of the display, we find that the optimization boosts the contrast of low-contrast features without introducing significant artifacts, yielding results of comparable visual quality to current state-of-the-art methods, but without manual intervention or parameter adjustment...

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity has become increasingly important in supportive cancer care. However, physical activity and exercise guidelines for ovarian cancer survivors remain generic. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize existing data regarding the physiological characteristics (treatment-related adverse effects, concurrent comorbidities, body weight and composition, physical fitness and function, and physical activity behavior) of ovarian cancer survivors to further understanding of their cancer-specific physical activity and exercise needs...

BACKGROUND: This series describes the results of minimally invasive strip craniotomy with additional spring distraction. METHODS: Included are the first 83 consecutive patients who underwent this procedure (Jan 1, 2010-Jan 1, 2014). Outcome parameters were collected prospectively and included surgical parameters and complications, the occurrence of papilledema, skull growth, cephalic index and photographic scores RESULTS:: Duration of surgery was 63 min: 19% required blood transfusion and complications were minor...

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is steadily on the rise in Western as well as in developing countries paralleling the increase of westernized diets, characterized by high protein and fat as well as excessive sugar intake, with less vegetables and fiber. Furthermore, nutrition is involved in several aspects of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ranging from disease etiology to induction and maintenance of remission of disease. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to induce remission, including in patients with isolated colonic disease, and leads to mucosal healing in Crohn disease (CD)...