Search Results (10)

Background: Stroke is a primary cause of adult disability and often causes cognitive impairment. Rehabilitation interventions aim to enhance patients’ cognitive abilities, thereby addressing care needs, improving quality of life, and optimizing performance in compromised functions. Objective: To evaluate the impact of incorporating cognitive–behavioral training (CBT) into a selected exercise program on cortical reorganization and cognitive recovery in post-stroke patients. Methods: Thirty post-stroke patients of both sexes (27 male and 3 female) aged from 40 to 65 years were randomly divided into two groups: the study group (n = 15) received CBT combined with a selected exercise program including weight-bearing, balance, and aerobic exercises, while the control group (n = 15) underwent the selected exercise program only. All participants engaged in an 8-week intervention with three sessions per week. Cortical reorganization was measured using quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) at electrode sites F3, F4, T5, and T6, and cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and RehaCom, focusing on memory, attention, concentration, logical reasoning, and reaction behavior. Assessments were carried out for all patients before and after the 8-week treatment program. Results: Improvements were assessed through three key measures: QEEG, the MoCA, and RehaCom. Post-intervention, the study group demonstrated a significantly higher (alpha + beta)/(delta + theta) ratio at F3, F4, T5, and T6 (p < 0.01), indicative of enhanced cortical reorganization. MoCA scores increased by 16.98% in the study group compared to 7.40% in the control group (p < 0.01). Additionally, RehaCom assessments revealed marked improvements in memory, attention, logical reasoning, and reaction behavior in the study group (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Integrating cognitive–behavioral training with a selected exercise program significantly enhances cortical reorganization and cognitive recovery in post-stroke patients. These findings suggest that adding CBT to rehabilitation protocols can effectively address deficits in memory and attention, ultimately improving functional outcomes. Full article

Objective: The present study explores the cross-cultural validation of neuropsychological assessments and their clinical applications in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), focusing on culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT) across diverse populations and settings. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in multiple academic databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords related to cognitive behavioral therapy, cultural adaptation, and specific populations were used. The inclusion criteria encompassed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pilot studies that assessed CA-CBT for various mental health conditions. Results: The review included studies involving Chinese Americans, Latino caregivers, Syrian refugees, Jordanian children, Malaysian Muslims, Afghan refugees, Iraqi women, Japanese children and adolescents, and Tanzanian and Kenyan children. CA-CBT demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis. For instance, research has shown that CA-CBT is more effective than standard CBT in reducing depressive symptoms among Chinese Americans and in significantly lowering PTSD symptoms in Syrian refugee women. This method has been well-received and is feasible for use in diverse populations, such as Jordanian children and Afghan refugees. The long-term benefits are promising, with sustained improvements being reported in various studies. Additionally, digital and remote delivery methods have demonstrated potential for expanding the accessibility of CA-CBT. Conclusions: CA-CBT is a valuable and effective intervention for diverse cultural populations, significantly improving mental health outcomes. However, future research must address limitations such as small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, and variability in assessment tools. Future studies should include larger and more diverse sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, rigorous control groups, and comprehensive outcome measures to further validate and enhance the application of CA-CBT across different cultural contexts. Full article

In the present era of advanced technology, the surge for suitable multifunctional materials capable of operating above 300 °C has increased for the utilization of high-temperature piezoelectric devices. For this purpose, a pseudo-tetragonal phased CaBi₄Ti_3.98 (Nb_0.5Fe_0.5)_0.02O₁₅:xwt%MnO₂ (CBTNF:xMn), with x = 0–0.20, ceramic system has been engineered for the investigation of structural, ferroelectric, dielectric and high-temperature-dependent piezoelectric properties. XRD analysis confirms that low-content Mn-ion insertion at the lattice sites of CBTNF does not distort the pseudo-tetragonal phase lattice of CBTNF:xMn ceramics, but enhances the functional behavior of the ceramic system, specifically at x = 0.15 wt%Mn. Compared to pure CBT and CBTNF ceramics, CBTNF:0.15Mn has demonstrated a highly dense relative density (~96%), a saturated polarization (P_S) of 15.89 µC/cm², a storage energy density (W_ST) of ~1.82 J/cm³, an energy-conversion efficiency (ƞ) of ~51% and an upgraded piezoelectric behavior (d₃₃) of 27.1 pC/N at room temperature. Sharp temperature-dependent dielectric constant (ε_r) peaks display the solid ferroelectric behavior of the CBTNF:0.15Mn sample with a Curie temperature (T_C) of 766 °C. The thermally stable piezoelectric performance of the CBTNF:0.15Mn ceramic was observed at 600 °C, with just a 0.8% d₃₃ loss (25 pC/N). The achieved results signify that multi-valence Mn ions have effectively intercalated at the lattice sites of the pseudo-tetragonal phased CBTNF counterpart and enhanced the multifunctional properties of the ceramic system, proving it to be a durable contender for utilization in energy-storage applications and stable high-temperature piezoelectric applications. Full article

In this work, Gd/Mn co-doped CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ Aurivillius-type ceramics with the formula of Ca_1-xGd_xBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ + xGd/0.2wt%MnCO₃ (abbreviated as CBT-xGd/0.2Mn) were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction route. Firstly, the prepared ceramics were identified as the single CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ phase with orthorhombic symmetry and the change in lattice parameters detected from the Rietveld XRD refinement demonstrated that Gd³⁺ was successfully substituted for Ca²⁺ at the A-site. SEM observations further revealed that all samples were composed of the randomly orientated plate-like grains, and the corresponding average grain size gradually decreased with Gd content (x) increasing. For all compositions studied, the frequency independence of conductivity observed above 400 °C showed a nature of ionic conduction behavior, which was predominated by the long-range migration of oxygen vacancies. Based on the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model, the maximum barrier height W_M, the dc conduction activation energy E_dc, as well as the hopping conduction activation energy E_p were calculated for the CBT-xGd/0.2Mn ceramics. The composition with x = 0.06 was found to have the highest E_dc value of 1.87 eV, as well as the lowest conductivity (1.8 × 10⁻⁵ S/m at 600 °C) among these compositions. The electrical modules analysis for this composition further illustrated the degree of interaction between charge carrier β increases, with an increase in temperature from 500 °C to 600 °C, and then a turn to decrease when the temperature exceeded 600 °C. The value of β reached a maximum of 0.967 at 600 °C, indicating that the dielectric relaxation behavior at this temperature was closer to the ideal Debye type. Full article

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of death in men in the US. PC has a high recurrence rate, and limited therapeutic options are available to prevent disease recurrence. The tryptophan-degrading enzymes 2,3-indoleamine dioxygenase (IDO1) and tryptophan dioxygenase (TDO2) are upregulated in invasive PC. (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-2,7,11-cembratriene-4,6-diol (β-CBT) and its C-4 epimer α-CBT are the precursors to key flavor ingredients in tobacco leaves. Nearly 40–60% of β- and α-CBT are purposely degraded during commercial tobacco fermentation. Earlier, β-CBT inhibited invasion, reversed calcitonin-stimulated transepithelial resistance decrease, and induced tighter intercellular barriers in PC-3M cells. This study demonstrates the in vitro β-CBT anti-migratory (wound-healing assay) and anti-clonogenicity (colony-formation assay) activities against five diverse human PC cell lines, including the androgen-independent PC-3, PC-3M, and DU-145, the castration-recurrent CWR-R1ca, and the androgen-dependent CWR-22rv1. Meanwhile, β-CBT potently suppressed in vivo locoregional and distant recurrences after the primary tumor surgical excision of PC-3M-Luc cell tumor engrafted in male nude mice. β-CBT treatments suppressed organ and bone metastasis and lacked any major toxicity over the 60-day study course. β-CBT treatments significantly suppressed IDO1, TDO2, and their final metabolite kynurenine levels in PC-3M cells. β-CBT treatments significantly suppressed the tumor recurrence marker PSA and kynurenine levels in treated animals’ plasma. β-CBT emerges as a promising PC recurrence suppressive lead. Full article

Aims: Previous research has shown the efficacy of culturally adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CA-CBT) in reducing depression, yet its effect on increasing sexual satisfaction is not well documented. In this study, an embedded randomized controlled trial design was used to examine the effect of group and individual CA-CBT on depression and sexual satisfaction among perimenopausal women. Method: A total of 64 depressed Iranian perimenopausal women were randomly assigned to two formats of treatments; sixteen sessions of group CA-CBT and eight sessions of individual CA-CBT, as well as a waitlist control group. Depression and sexual satisfaction were measured using BDI-II and ENRICH, respectively, at T1 (pre-treatment), T2 (post-treatment) and T3 (follow-up). Results: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that the women who underwent both group and individual CA-CBT had effectively reduced depression and increased sexual satisfaction between pre-treatment and post-treatment, and it was sustained after six months of follow-ups with large effect sizes of significant differences (p < 0.001), but the control group did not. Conclusion: The results showed promising evidence for the efficacy of both treatment groups of CA-CBT for depression and sexual satisfaction among perimenopausal women. The population mental health burden among perimenopausal women may likely be reduced by propagating this effective treatment. Full article

The bismuth layer-structured ferroelectrics (BLSFs) materials have potential for high-temperature piezoelectric applications. Among these piezoelectric materials, the CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (CBT) piezoelectric ceramic with a high decomposition temperature of about 1250 °C attracts a lot of attention. Achieving a CBT single crystal is a significant way to improve its piezoelectric properties. For this purpose, the flux system for growing CBT crystal was explored in this study. The optimum flux composition ratio was found to be PbO:B₂O₃:CBT = 3:3:1 in mol%, where the PbO–B₂O₃ mixtures were used as a flux system. Millimeter size flake-shaped CBT crystals were obtained using the spontaneous growth process for the first time. The relationship between the crystal structure and flake growth habit was analyzed. In addition, the bandgap was evaluated by the combination of transmittance spectrum and first-principle calculations. Besides, the piezoelectric property was predicted from the perspective of polyhedral distortion, which indicated the potential of CBT crystal for piezoelectric applications. Full article

To further promote market competition, enrich trading varieties, alleviate information asymmetry, and improve trading efficiency during electricity market reform in China, the continuous bidirectional transaction (CBT) was designed and applied in the Yunnan electricity market (YNEM), which is dominated by medium- and long-term power energy trading. The clearing model for the CBT with the goal of maximum social welfare is proposed in two bidding stages, including call auction (CA) and continuous double auction (CDA). Correspondingly, the integrated two-stage market clearing algorithm is also introduced to ensure the data consistency and business continuity. Finally, the analysis of the practical application shows that the proposed model, algorithm, and various key implementation strategies of the trading platform support the bidding and clearing of the CBT well. In addition, the research and application of CBT may also provide valuable insights for other electricity market construction. Full article

Compelling evidence from preclinical and clinical studies has shown that mild hypothermia is neuroprotective against ischemic stroke. We investigated the neuroprotective effect of post-risperidone (RIS) treatment against transient ischemic injury and its mechanisms in the gerbil brain. Transient ischemia (TI) was induced in the telencephalon by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) for 5 min under normothermic condition (37 ± 0.2 °C). Treatment of RIS induced hypothermia until 12 h after TI in the TI-induced animals under uncontrolled body temperature (UBT) compared to that under controlled body temperature (CBT) (about 37 °C). Neuroprotective effect was statistically significant when we used 5 and 10 mg/kg doses (p < 0.05, respectively). In the RIS-treated TI group, many CA1 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus survived under UBT compared to those under CBT. In this group under UBT, post-treatment with RIS to TI-induced animals markedly attenuated the activation of glial cells, an increase of oxidative stress markers [dihydroethidium, 8-hydroxy-2′ -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE)], and a decrease of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in their CA1 pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, RIS-induced hypothermia was significantly interrupted by NBOH-2C-CN hydrochloride (a selective 5-HT_2A receptor agonist), but not bromocriptine mesylate (a D₂ receptor agonist). Our findings indicate that RIS-induced hypothermia can effectively protect neuronal cell death from TI injury through attenuation of glial activation and maintenance of antioxidants, showing that 5-HT_2A receptor is involved in RIS-induced hypothermia. Therefore, RIS could be introduced to reduce body temperature rapidly and might be applied to patients for hypothermic therapy following ischemic stroke. Full article

Continuous ultrasonic in-situ monitoring for industrial applications is difficult owing to the high operating temperatures in industrial fields. It is expected that ultrasonic transducers consisting of a CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅(CBT)/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃(PZT) sol-gel composite could be one solution for ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) above 500 °C because no couplant is required and CBT has a high Curie temperature. To verify the high temperature durability, CBT/PZT sol-gel composite films were fabricated on titanium substrates by spray coating, and the CBT/PZT samples were tested in a furnace at various temperatures. Reflected echoes with a high signal-to-noise ratio were observed up to 600 °C. A thermal cycle test was conducted from room temperature to 600 °C, and no significant deterioration was found after the second thermal cycle. To investigate the long-term high-temperature durability, a CBT/PZT ultrasonic transducer was tested in the furnace at 600 °C for 36 h. Ultrasonic responses were recorded every 3 h, and the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio were stable throughout the experiment. Full article