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Objective: To investigate the correlation between stigma and ostomy adjustment in patients with a permanent colostomy. Methods: A total of 118 patients (male 81/female 37 with an average age 57.4±15.0) from six grade 3 hospitals of the Midlands of China with a permanent colostomy were recruited. Participants responded to a questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic data, Social Impact Scale (SIS) scores to ascertain stigma level and Ostomy Adjustment Inventory (OAI-20) scores to identify the level of psychosocial adjustment. Results: The patients' average SIS score was (60.7±10.4). The QAI-20 total score was (41.3±10.8). The SIS total score and SIS subscores were negatively related to the total score and subscore of QAI-20 (r=-0.222~-0.537, all P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed the level of self-stoma care performed, the degree of communication with medical staff, financial insecurity and social rejection when added into the regression equation had a significant negative impact on OAI-20. Conclusion: In comparison to the average SIS score, the SIS score in this study sample is higher than midpoint, indicating stigma is closely related to ostomy adjustment. It is suggested that health professionals need to pay more attention to patients' expressed feelings of stigma to improve their ability to adjust to living with a colostomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene and electrical power are cogenerated in fuel cell reactors with FeCr2O4 nanoparticles as anode catalyst, La0.7Sr0.3FeO3-δ (LSF) as cathode material, and BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.2O3-δ (BCZY) perovskite oxide as proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte. FeCr2O4, BCZY and LSF are synthesized by a sol-gel combustion method. The power density increases from 70 to 240mW cm-2, and the ethylene yield increases from about 14.1% to 39.7% when the operating temperature of the proton-conducting fuel cell reactor increases from 650°C to 750°C. The FeCr2O4 anode catalyst exhibits better catalytic performance than nanosized Cr2O3 anode catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]