Soins Gerontol
November 2024
Working in a multi-disciplinary environment in an assisted living facility for elderly people represents a "virtuous circle" in which a professional contributes to the resident, who in turn contributes to the professional. Cooperation, ingenuity, a questioning approach to everyday tasks and a quality relational approach are the foundations of personalized support and mutual enrichment. How can we transform the ordinary moments of residents' daily lives into extraordinary, meaningful moments?
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to assess the capability and sustainability of public healthcare and Long-Term Care (LTC) systems. This study aims to identify the population's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as other national resources associated with the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, by comparing three European countries during the first pandemic period (Italy, Spain, and Germany). The results will identify possible strengths and weaknesses that could be considered as hints of the need for health and social intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnnual fish have become attractive study models for a wide range of disciplines, including neurobiology. These fish have developed different survival strategies. As a result, their nervous system is under considerable selective pressure when facing extreme environmental situations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealthcare systems are transforming from the traditional volume-based model of healthcare to a value-based model of healthcare. Value generation in healthcare is about emphasising the health outcomes achieved by patients and organisations while maintaining an optimal relationship with costs. This scoping review aimed to identify the key elements and outcomes of implementing value-based healthcare (VBHC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Population ageing and rising poverty are two of the most pressing issues today, even in Western European nations, growing as a result of the recent global economic crisis and the COVID-19 containment measures. This study explores the relationship between long-term care (LTC) needs and risk of poverty at household level in eight European countries, representing the different European care regimes.
Methods: The main international databases were scoured for study variables, categorized according to the following conceptual areas: home care, residential care, health expenditure, service coverage, cash benefits, private services, population, family, education, employment, poverty, disability and care recipients, and life expectancy.
Background: Long-term care (LTC), poverty, and socioeconomic deprivation are globally significant social issues. Ongoing population aging trends and the recent social and health emergencies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis have highlighted the need for macro-level LTC and welfare system sustainability strategies.
Aims: This scoping review (ScR) explores the relationship between LTC needs, the health status of older people, and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation for their households.
Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is the first-choice exploration in case of overt small bowel bleeding (SBB). An early CE is known to increase diagnostic yield, but long reading times may delay therapeutics. The study evaluates the diagnostic performance of the artificial intelligence tool TOP100 in patients with overt SBB undergoing early CE with Pillcam SB3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRod photoreceptors in the adult teleost retina are produced by rod precursors located in the outer nuclear layer (ONL). Annual fishes of the genus Austrolebias exhibit extensive adult retinal cell proliferation and neurogenesis, as well as surprising adaptive strategies to their extreme and changing environment, including adult retinal plasticity. Thus, here we identify and characterize rod precursors in the ONL of the Austrolebias charrua retina.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGerontol Geriatr Educ
June 2024
Universities of the Third Age (U3A), lifelong learning institutes, and "senior universities" are terms used to describe organizations that provide education for older adults, specifically for those who are retired or in the "third age" of life. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive, historical overview of the evolution of these organizations across global settings. This article highlights the importance of older adult education while discussing U3A's structure and models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: There are few scales with prospective validation for the assessment of the upper gastrointestinal mucosal cleanliness during an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reproducible cleanliness scale for use during an EGD.
Methods: We developed a cleanliness scale (Barcelona scale) with a score (0-2 points) of five segments of the upper gastrointestinal tract with thorough cleaning techniques (esophagus, fundus, body, antrum, and duodenum).
Background: COVID-19 has been characterised by its global and rapid spread, with high infection, hospitalisation, and mortality rates worldwide. However, the course of the pandemic showed differences in chronology and intensity in different geographical areas and countries, probably due to a multitude of factors. Among these, socio-economic deprivation has been supposed to play a substantial role, although available evidence is not fully in agreement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrastructural features of striatal white matter and cells in an in vivo model of glutaric acidemia type I created by intracerebral injection of glutaric acid (GA) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. To test if the white matter damage observed in this model could be prevented, we administered the synthetic chemopreventive molecule CH38 ((E)-3-(4-methylthiophenyl)-1-phenyl-2-propen-1-one) to newborn rats, previous to an intracerebroventricular injection of GA. The study was done when striatal myelination was incipient and when it was already established (at 12 and 45 days post-injection [DPI], respectively).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The aim of this study was to explore body composition parameters and hormone levels as risk factors for low bone mass (osteopenia/osteoporosis) in postmenopausal women.
Methods: We analyzed biorepository samples from 139 postmenopausal women with no clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. Inclusion criteria were menopause occurring after 40 years of age and no use of hormone therapy in the past 3 months.
Background: Dementia is a priority for global public health. The management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is one of the highest ongoing challenges and needs new approaches. The special care unit for people with dementia and BPSD (SCU-B) is viewed in this context as a further medical intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFannual fishes exhibit cell proliferation and neurogenesis throughout life. They withstand extreme environmental changes as their habitat dries out, pressuring nervous system to adapt. Their visual system is challenged to adjust as the water becomes turbid.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is an entity with a known histological progression to malignancy. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is involved in the carcinogenesis through obesity-related mechanisms that include IGF and it has been associated with several types of cancer.
Objectives: To evaluate the serological levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in patients with BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
(1) Background: Fecal calprotectin (FC) correlates well with colonic inflammatory activity of Crohn’s disease (CD); data about relation of FC and small bowel (SB) lesions are still contradictory. The main aim was to analyze the relationship between FC levels and SB inflammatory activity in patients with established or suspected Crohn’s disease, assessed by small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) or magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). (2) Methods: Two cohorts of patients were included: 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Motorized Spiral Enteroscopy (MSE) reduces procedure time and increases insertion depth into the small bowel; however, there is scarce evidence on factors affecting MSE efficacy.
Aims: To evaluate diagnostic yield and adverse events of MSE including patients with prior major abdominal surgery.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on patients undergoing MSE from June 2019 to December 2021.
Major global problems such as population ageing, long-term care and the socio-economic burden of chronically ill older people and their families are urgent issues. Research in this field contributes to the growing international literature on health-related quality-of-life instruments, but little is known about the links between the related variables. Thus, the scoping review this protocol refers to plans to examine the socio-economic consequences of older people's poor health on their economic conditions and their families.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The study aimed to evaluate the short-term efficacy of social network sites (SNSs) training on cognitive performance in cognitively healthy older individuals, and to explore the influence of personality traits on cognitive benefits of SNSs training.
Methods: The Aging in a Networked Society-Social Experiment study was a randomized controlled trial with three arms: intervention group (course on SNSs use), active control group (lifestyle education) and waiting list. Among the 180 eligible participants, 144 participated, 115 completed the study.
The occurrence of Helicobacter spp. and fecal bacterial contamination was investigated in high-altitude environments from the Northeastern Andes of Venezuela. Helicobacter DNA was detected by PCR in streams, drinking and irrigation waters, and one culture from drinking water by the HP enrichment medium for selection of Helicobacter pylori, which displayed 98.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To assess the vitamin D levels, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and genotypes of Fok-I, Bsm-I, Apa-I and Taq-I polymorphisms in the VDR gene and to determine whether vitamin D deficiency and VDR gene variants are associated with blood pressure levels and systemic arterial hypertension as defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA criteria.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study of biobanked blood samples from 339 postmenopausal women.
Main Outcome Measures: Blood pressure strata were defined according to the 2017 ACC/AHA cutoffs.
Background: In the last decades, the relationship between social networking sites (SNSs) and older people's loneliness is gaining specific relevance. Studies in this field are often based on qualitative methods to study in-depth self-perceived issues, including loneliness and well-being, or quantitative surveys to report the links between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and older people's well-being or loneliness. However, these nonexperimental methods are unable to deeply analyze the causal relationship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine adjuvants are compounds that enhance/prolong the immune response to a co-administered antigen. Saponins have been widely used as adjuvants for many years in several vaccines - especially for intracellular pathogens - including the recent and somewhat revolutionary malaria and shingles vaccines. In view of the immunoadjuvant potential of Q.
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