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BackgroundThe Montessori Method underpinned by the principle of person-centered care has been widely adopted to design activities for people with dementia. However, the methodological quality of the existing evidence is fair. The objectives of this study are to examine the feasibility and effects of a culturally adapted group-based Montessori Method for Dementia program in Chinese community on engagement and affect in community-dwelling people with dementia.MethodsThis was a two-arm randomized controlled trial. People who were aged 60 years or over and with mild to moderate dementia were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group to receive Montessori-based activities or the comparison group to receive conventional group activities over eight weeks. The attendance rates were recorded for evaluating the feasibility. The Menorah Park Engagement Scale and the Apparent Affect Rating Scale were used to assess the engagement and affect during the activities based on observations. Generalized Estimating Equation model was used to examine the intervention effect on the outcomes across the sessions.ResultsA total of 108 people with dementia were recruited. The average attendance rate of the intervention group (81.5%) was higher than that of the comparison group (76.3%). There was a significant time-by-group intervention effect on constructive engagement in the first 10 minutes of the sessions (Wald χ2 = 15.21–19.93,ps = 0.006–0.033), as well as on pleasure (Wald χ2 = 25.37–25.73,ps≤ 0.001) and interest (Wald χ2 = 19.14–21.11, ps = 0.004–0.008) in the first and the middle 10 minutes of the sessions, adjusted for cognitive functioning.ConclusionsThis study provide evidence that Montessori-based group activities adapted to the local cultural context could effectively engage community-dwelling Chinese older people with mild to moderate dementia in social interactions and meaningful activities and significantly increase their positive affect.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04352387. Registered 20 April 2020. Retrospectively registered.

Nine novel copper(I) complexes with diphosphine and diimine ligands, namely [Cu(dpq)(xantphos)]BF4 (1), [Cu(dpq)(xantphos)]I (2), [Cu(dpq)(dppp)]BF4 (3), [Cu(dppz)(dppp)]BF4 (4), [Cu(dppz)(dppp)]I (5), [Cu(dppz)(pop)]I (6), [Cu(dpq)(pop)]I (7), [Cu(dpq)(pop)]Br (8), [Cu(dpq)(pop)]SCN (9) (dpq = pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine, xantphos = 9,9-dimethyl-4,5-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)xanthene, dppp = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, pop = 1,1′-[(Oxydi-2,1-phenylene)]bis[1,1-diphenylphosphine]), were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, elemental analysis, 1H NMR, 31P NMR, fluorescence spectra and terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). These nine complexes were synthesized by the reactions of copper salts, diimine ligands and various of P-donor ligands through one-pot method. Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that complex 9 is of a simple mono-nuclear structure while complexes 6 and 7 are of dimer structures. For complex 8, hydrogen bonds and C H⋯π interactions lead to the formation of a 1D infinite chain structure. Interestingly, complexes 1–5 show novel 2D or 3D network structures through C H⋯π interactions. In addition, complexes 1–3 and 6–9 exhibit interesting fluorescence in the solid state at room temperature. Among the nine complexes, complex 1 shows the highest quantum yield up to 37% and the lifetime of 1 is 6.0 μs. The terahertz (THz) time-domain spectra of these complexes were also studied.

As the number of patients with metabolic hypertension (MH) is increasing, there is an essential require for global measures to prevent and treat MH. Flavonoids such as buddleoside (BUD) from Chrysanthemum indicum L. are the main pharmacological components of cardiovascular activities. Previous studies have suggested that the buddleoside-rich Chrysanthemum indicum L. extract (BUDE) can reduce blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). However, its effect on MH and how it works remains to be researched. In this study, it was observed that BUDE could lower blood pressure, improve dyslipidemia, and decrease the level of plasma LPS in MH rats. Moreover, BUDE improved intestinal flora and increased the expression of occludin and claudin-1 in the colon, and improved the pathological injury of the colon. Western bolt and qRT-PCR experiments showed that BUDE could down-regulate TLR4 and MyD88 protein and mRNA expression and inhibit phosphorylation of IKKβ, IκBα and NF-κB p65 in vessels of MH rats. These results showed that BUDE could regulate intestinal flora, improve intestinal barrier function, reduce the production and penetration of LPS, thereby inhibiting the vascular TLR4/MyD88 pathway, improving vascular endothelial function, and ultimately lowering blood pressure in MH rats. This study provides a new mechanism of BUDE against MH by inhibiting the enteric-origin LPS/TLR4 pathway.

C54H52Ag2B2F8P4, triclinic, P1̄ a = 11.4869(4) Å, b = 12.9118(5) Å, c = 19.6858(6) Å, α = 100.8240(10)°, β = 102.185(2)°, γ = 110.470(3)°, V = 2562.31(15) Å3, Z = 2, R gt(F) = 0.0263, wR ref(F 2) = 0.0666, T = 293(2) K.

C44H32CuIOP2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 17.1995(14) Å, b = 11.4175(9) Å, c = 19.1704(17) Å, β = 104.263(2)°, V = 3648.5(5) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0464, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1387, T = 298(2) K.

Batch adsorption experiments for removal of methylene blue from a aqueous solution onto talcum powder were investigated using microwave and acetic acid modified talcum powder. In batch adsorption experiments for methylene blue by a new sorbent, the influences of particle size of talcum powder, acid concentration, acidification time, acidification temperature, radiation time and radiation power were investigated. The results showed that the removal efficiency of methylene blue is up to 83.03% in the optimum conditions, namely, the talcum powder of 1250 mesh size were treated with 1 mol/L acetic acid at 313K for 9h and microwave radiation power and time was 600W and 5min, respectively. The modified talcum powder was characterized by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electronic Microscopy. Because of the active groups OH- and the broken Si-O- and the cracks produced from face surface of modified talcum powder, the adsorptive capability of adsorbent was greatly enhanced.

In this paper, a new kind of solid-state quasi-optical power combiner is presented. It consists of two or more singlecavity multiple-device power combiners and a Fabry-Perot cavity. The experimenal results using six Gunn diodes at X-band show that the total output power is higher than 400 mW, the total combining efficiency is as high as 83%, and the frequency stability is better than 10−5.

Single- and double-V-groove guides are analyzed by an approach based on a combination of the transverse resonance method and the numerical integration technique. Comparisons between the predicted results and available measured results for a single V-groove guide show good agreement. The new approach is simple and accurate. Numerical results for the coupling characteristics of a double-V-groove guide are also presented. >

The nonlinear characteristic of Gunn device is analyzed on the basis of device physics. A novel mathematical representation of the large signal dynamic characteristic of the Gunn device is presented.

In this paper, a set of closed-form formulas for an E-plane strip in bilateral fin line with arbitrary height are given. These formulas are derived by the least-square curve fitting method. When the frequency range is 30.0

In this paper the combination of second harmonic power from multiple GaAs Gunn oscillators at W-band was investigated. The power combiner operating in a subharmonic tie involves two or three GaAs Gunn oscillators connected together by a 3 dB short-slot coupler. In two-oscillator combiners the second harmonic power of individual oscillator is 16 mW and 15 mW respectively. The combined power at 91.5 GHz is 23mW. In three- oscillator combiners the second harmonic power of individual oscillator is 7 mW, 7 mW, and 6 mW respectively. The combined power at 92 GHz is 14.5 mW. In both cases the combining efficiency is greater than 70 %.

Finline discontinuities are analyzed by means of mode matching technique and spectral domain technique. Numerical results are given.

The authors describe a novel method of controlling the frequency of a W-band subharmonic Gunn oscillator using a laser beam. A maximum optical tuning frequency of 7 MHz has been observed experimentally. A cavity with a silicon piece glued on backshort is analyzed. The complex frequencies of the cavity as a function of plasma densities are obtained. >

In this note, the method of lines is extended to an arbitrary cross-section microstrip structure with curved and open boundaries. A dispersion characteristic equation is derived, and dispersion characteristics of several special microstrip structures are calculated. It is shown that the effective dielectric constants or characteristic impedances calculated by this method are in agreement with those calculated in the quasi-TEM case in low frequency. >