Gender differences in self-care maintenance and its associations among patients with chronic heart failure

Objectives:To identify the gender differences in self-care maintenance and its associations among chronic heart failure patients using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model.Methods:Two hundred and ten patients(54.0%female)with chronic heart failure participated in this cross-sectional study.Self-care,knowledge of heart failure,social support and illness perception were measured using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index,the questionnaire of heart failure knowledge,the Perceived Social Support Scale,and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire,respectively.Results:Mean scores for self-care maintenance were 51.4±14.8 in men and 55.6±14.1 in women(t=-2.066,P<0.05).Associated factors of self-care maintenance were social support and self-care confidence in men and the knowledge of heart failure,self-care management and self-care confidence in women.The relationship between social support and self-care maintenance was meditated by selfcare confidence in men,whereas the relationship between knowledge of heart failure and self-care maintenance was meditated by self-care management and self-care confidence in women.Conclusions:Self-care maintenance were inadequate in both genders with chronic heart failure.Interventions for enhancing social support and self-care confidence in men patients,and strengthening knowledge of heart failure,self-care management and self-care confidence in women patients,may facilitate self-care maintenance.

Influence of PEG 6000 on gallium oxide(Ga_2O_3) polymorphs and photocatalytic properties

Three different nanorod-like gallium oxides with mono/poly-crystalline nature(α, β, and α/β-Ga2O3) were prepared by regulating the amount of polyethylene glycol(PEG) 6000 in the range of 0.2–0.8 g proportionally via a hydrothermal method combined with further calcination. The bandgap of the products, given by UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra(UV-Vis DRS), was in the order of α-Ga2O3 > α/β-Ga2O3 > β-Ga2O3. To further investigate the photocatalysis performance of the catalysts, the decomposition of rhodamine B(Rh B) by Ga2O3 under UV light illumination(λ < 387 nm) was presented and complete degradation could be achieved within 30 min, a result that showed the highest efficiency. The photocatalytic oxidation mechanism is further discussed and prominently related to the active species: hydroxyl radical(·OH) and superoxide radical(O·-2), which were confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR).