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Can assistive technologies (ATs) support aging in place for people with dementia and disability? In seeking to go beyond the persistent institutional care delivery paradigm, this proof-of-concept study tested the feasibility of home care delivery using sensors and remote communication devices. This article reports the collaborative efforts among care professionals, care recipients and family caregivers in their private home environment and the impact of in-home passive remote monitoring (PRM) system on the users. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usability and impact of a PRM system combining in-house passive remote monitoring and an interactive communication function. In order to realize AT-supported, person-centered aging in place, a new care delivery model was designed, developed and tested for the duration of 12 weeks. The study was conducted with 5 older people (1 with severe disability and 4 with dementia), their primary family carers with 15 care professionals as users. The findings indicate that there were some technical issues. However, the overall assessment of the system performance was positive, and the users expressed favorable views regarding its preventive and interactive nature. The importance of team-based care delivery, adjusted to fit the PRM equipment, was also highlighted. Faced with the challenge of meeting the increasing demand for person-centered care with limited resources, there will be a greater need for better integration of improved ATs. The study indicates ATs' potential for enhancing the quality of life for those involved in caregiving, while stressing the significance of stakeholders' engagement, skills and teamwork. This proof-of-concept study tested the feasibility of a home care delivery system using sensors and remote communication device for those with dementia and disabilities. A home care delivery system was successfully created for 12 weeks by collaborative efforts among care professionals, care recipients and family caregivers in their private home environment. The introduction of in-home passive remote monitoring system increased the possibility of the older adults being able to live independently, and enabled rehabilitation at home. The users had favourable views regarding the system's preventive and interactive nature and highlighted a greater need for better integration of improved assistive technology in long-term care and rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  Urotensin II (U-II) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, and increased U-II levels are associated with atherosclerosis and hypertension in adults. Low birth weight (LBW) infants have higher risks of such diseases in the future. A small number of nephrons is one of possible mechanism underlying these risks in LBW infants, while vascular elasticity and cardiac function might be another important factor. The objective of this study is to evaluate U-II levels in preterm LBW infants at an early stage of life and determine perinatal factors associated with U-II levels. Study Design  The study population consisted of 57 preterm LBW infants (26 males and 31 females), including 49 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 8 small for gestational age (SGA) infants, born at a gestational age of ≤34 weeks with a mean birth weight of 1,589 g. Serum U-II levels were measured at term-equivalent age to evaluate perinatal factors related to serum U-II levels. Results  Preterm SGA infants had significantly higher serum U-II levels than preterm AGA infants at term-equivalent age (p  = 0.019). Serum U-II levels in preterm LBW infants at term-equivalent age were inversely correlated with birth weight standard deviation (SD) score in a simple regression analysis (r  =  − 0.395, p  = 0,002) and the correlation was maintained in the multiple regression analysis. Conclusion  Our results indicate that birth weight SD score might be associated with serum U-II levels in preterm LBW infants at term-equivalent age. Further studies are required to determine whether U-II levels at an early stage of life might influence the risk of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Key Points U-II is a potent vasoconstrictor. We evaluated serum U-II levels in preterm infants. Fetal growth is negatively related to serum U-II levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been conducted on the porphyrin self-assemblies to recognize pyrazole. The synthesis, design and thermodynamics of these self-assemblies in comparison with the reference systems have been examined and described.