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Background: Critically ill neonates receive care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Unfortunately, some neonates pass away in the NICU. Providing comprehensive neonatal palliative care and hospice services is crucial in supporting parents through the loss of their offspring. In our NICU, we identified that only 74.5% of nurses are able to properly recognize the need for palliative care and only 55% are able to implement the necessary procedures. Purpose: A project was designed and implemented to enhance the ability of nursing staff to recognize the need for and properly implement palliative care to improve the quality of this care in the NICU. Resolutions: We organized an on-the-job education and training program within our NICU with the goals of heightening awareness among nursing staff. In addition, a specialist palliative care operation flow chart, process preparation checklist, and palliative-care-related tools were created to facilitate the care process. Results: After program implementation, among nursing staff in our NICU, the palliative care recognition accuracy rate rose to 100% (from 74.5%) and the implementation rate rose to 94.8% (from 55%). The quality of provided neonatal palliative care and hospice services was significantly improved. Conclusion: The developed program was shown to significantly improve nursing staff recognition and implementation of neonatal palliative care in our NICU. This experience provides a reference for improving palliative care quality and for helping families effectively manage end-of-life challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: End-of-life care in long-term care institutions is increasingly important. Nursing assistants are the primary care workforce, and their end-of-life care capabilities affect the quality of care provided to residents as well as residents' physical and mental health. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the life attitudes, fear of death status, end-of-life care abilities and experience, and coping styles of nursing assistants in long-term care institutions in the eastern region and the effects of these variables on care. Method: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods research design was used. The study included 165 nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities in Taitung and Hualien counties. The study questionnaire included items covering life attitudes, fear of death, and dying care abilities. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 of the participants. Results: Most of the participants held positive attitudes toward life and reported having a low to moderate fear of death. A significant and positive correlation between life attitude and dying care ability was identified (r = .426, p < .001). Although average ability to provide physical care to residents at end of life was found to be relatively good, ability to provide emotional support and allow residents to express their emotions was generally poor. The scales of fear of death, life attitude toward love and care, ideals, and high school education were identified as significant predictors of dying care ability, together explaining 22.8% of the variance. The interview results were summarized into five major themes that also echoed the quantitative results. Conclusions/ Implications for Practice: Attitudes toward life and fear of death partially were shown to influence the dying care ability of the nursing assistants in this study. Dying care skills should be strengthened in nursing assistants, and they should be encouraged to explore the meanings of life and death through on-the-job education. Also, long-term care institutions should show concern for and support their nursing assistants by sponsoring case discussions, care experience sharing sessions, and support groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving global change, and the implementation of generative AI in higher education is inevitable. AI language models such as the chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) hold the potential to revolutionize the delivery of nursing education in the future. Nurse educators play a crucial role in preparing nursing students for a future technology-integrated healthcare system. While the technology has limitations and potential biases, the emergence of ChatGPT presents both opportunities and challenges. It is critical for faculty to be familiar with the capabilities and limitations of this model to foster effective, ethical, and responsible utilization of AI technology while preparing students in advance for the dynamic and rapidly advancing landscape of nursing and healthcare. Therefore, this article was written to present a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of integrating ChatGPT into nursing education, providing a guide for implementing ChatGPT in nursing education and offering a well-rounded assessment to help nurse educators make informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in the asymptomatic incubation period of COVID-19 are highly contagious. This threat of asymptomatic transmission contributes to increased stress among nursing staffs and undermines their resilience. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the correlates and predictive factors of resilience in the contexts of work stress and job satisfaction among nursing staffs. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed on a convenience sample of 408 nurses. The survey included a demographic datasheet, the Nurse Occupational Stressor Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and Resilience Scale. Inferential statistics were conducted using independent sample t test, Pearson correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple linear regression. Results: The participants were an average 32.6 years old. The average resilience score indicated a "moderate" resilience level. Resilience was treated as the dependent variable, while the demographic variables, Nurse Occupational Stressor Scale score, and job satisfaction dimension scores were treated as independent variables. Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the key predictors of resilience, which included professional autonomy and development (β = .468, p < .001), occupational hazards (β = .163, p < .001), interpersonal interaction and collaboration (β = .223, p < .001), self-perceived economic status (β = -.093, p < .05), supervisor's leadership style (β = -.118, p < .05), and marital status (β = .078, p < .05). The model explained 39.4% of the total variance. Conclusions/ Implications for Practice: The results of this study support healthcare providers promoting resilience in several specific ways. Healthcare organizations should enhance professional competence through professional education and training programs; improve workplace safety; foster an atmosphere conducive to team cooperation; provide job support through mentorship and apprenticeship systems and caring leadership from nursing supervisors; continuously conduct caring and stress-relief activities; and utilize online self-report health questionnaires to enable nursing staff facing psychological and emotional challenges to seek professional counseling and support. Enhancing resilience strategies on a long-term basis can improve the mental health of nursing staff, which may be expected to enhance the quality of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The recoverability of athletes at different performance levels may be dissimilar. This study aimed to compare differences in fatigue level and recovery ability between champions and those who did not make it to the top three in the taekwondo category of the National High School Games. Methods: Nine champions were assigned to the excellent group (EXG) and 15 athletes who did not make it to the top three were assigned to the general group (GEG). Before and after the match, countermovement jump (CMJ) and maximum voluntary isometric contraction were evaluated. The selected parameters were jump height, 50ms, 100ms and maximal rate of force development (50ms, 100ms and maximal RFD). The differences in fatigue and recoverability between groups were examined with paired sample t-tests; independent sample t-tests were used to compare differences in percentage change in fatigue and recoverability between groups. Results: The 50ms RFD, 100ms RFD, and maximal RFD after the first match of the GEG were significantly lower than their levels before the first match (p < .05), while the group did not show significant fatigue (p >.05). The jump height of both the GEG and the EXG was significantly lower than that at pre-match (p < .05). The GEG showed significantly higher percentage reductions in 50ms RFD and 100ms RFD than the EXG (p < .05). However, the percentage change in recoverability did not differ significantly between the groups (p >.05). Conclusions: The 50ms RFD, 100ms RFD, and max RFD of the GEG were significantly reduced after the first match, indicating the group's evident fatigue level. Percentage reductions in 50ms RFD and 100ms RFD after the first match were significantly higher in the GEG than in the EXG. Both groups' CMJ height before the second match did not return to the same level as that before the first match. This study suggests that 50ms RFD and 100ms RFD can be used as an evaluation index for taekwondo athletes to determine their degree of fatigue and whether they have a competitive advantage. CMJ height may be an indicator of recoverability of taekwondo athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been implemented in Taiwan, evidence drawn by the Control Yuan and other reports submitted for the CRPD implementation review shows that the needs of persons with disabilities regarding sexual and reproductive health and forming families are still largely ignored and unaddressed, making their reproductive rights unrealized. In this article, we examine the protection regarding the reproductive rights and health of persons with disabilities from a human rights perspective and identify the challenges they have encountered in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. We then propose policy and legal recommendations to address the inadequacy of rights protection, including that legal provisions imposing discrimination on persons with disabilities in the "Genetic Health Law" and related regulations should be amended promptly. Additionally, a more comprehensive plan for enhancing services should be developed to remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing reproductive health services on an equal basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a primary cause of cancer-related mortality, and, after treatment, cancer survivors often worry that disease recurrence may worsen their health. Nevertheless, limited research on fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and treatment-related symptoms has been conducted on survivors of CRC. Purpose: This study was designed to explore (1) symptom distress severity and post-treatment FCR in CRC survivors and (2) the predictors of FCR. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational research design and convenience sampling approach were used to recruit patients at the colorectal surgery outpatient department of a medical center in central Taiwan. Basic demographic data, the Symptom Distress Scale -- Chinese Modified Form, and Fear of Progression Questionnaire - Short Form were used as monitoring tools. Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and stepwise linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: One hundred fourteen survivors of CRC with an average age of 63.44 were enrolled as participants. The top five symptoms of distress were numbness, bowel patterns, fatigue, insomnia, and dry mouth, and the average FCR score was 18.09. Gender, educational level, monthly disposable income, and symptom distress were identified as significant predictors of FCR, with an overall explanatory power of 41.4%. Conclusions: Level of post-treatment FCR in survivors of CRC is influenced by symptom distress severity. Early intervention by healthcare providers to control or alleviate physical symptoms can help prevent the emergence of negative emotions and improve quality of life in this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor disease control in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with suboptimal inhaler use. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the accuracy of inhaler use and related factors in elderly patients with COPD. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit patients with COPD from a medical centre in southern Taiwan who were over 65 years old and used inhalers regularly. All of the data as well as information on inhaler use accuracy were collected using a self-designed questionnaire and inhaler operation checklist. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyse significant correlates of correct inhaler operation. Results: The average age of the 150 participants was 75.0 years (SD = 7.5) years. Most used one type of inhaler only (86.0%). The rate of accurate inhaler operation was 40.7% (n = 61) for the sample, with dry powder inhalers associated with the highest accuracy (64%) and pressurized metered-dose inhalers associated with the lowest accuracy (1.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that using a soft mist inhaler (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 23.29; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI [2.84, 191.07]), using a dry powder inhaler (AOR =15.60, 95% CI [1.99, 122.26]), and higher satisfaction with the inhaler were positively and independently associated with accurate inhaler use (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI [1.09, 3.44]). Conclusion/ Implications for Practice: Important factors related to inhaler use accuracy include inhaler type and level of patient satisfaction with their inhaler. Healthcare professionals should regularly confirm that older patients are able to use their inhalers correctly and are satisfied with their inhalers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in Taiwan is facing problems such as population aging and labor shortage. Therefore, effectively managing the crops in the planting process is often impossible, easily exposing them to disease threats and leading to heavy losses. This study builds a crop disease detection system and applies it to apple scab, tomato early blight, late blight, and leaf mold. The system first collects apple and tomato crop photos and crop disease data from the Plantvillage dataset on the Kaggle platform. Secondly, according to the crop dataset, the crop type recognition and leaf detection model is trained to identify crop types and detect plant leaves. Finally, the detected leaves are inputted into the disease recognition model for disease detection, and the plants infected with the disease are found. The crop detection system intends to help farmers improve the efficiency of monitoring crop disease through aerial cameras so that farmers can treat plants early and avoid agricultural impacts caused by crop disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Guangdong Agricultural Sciences is the property of South China Agricultural University, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Patients in the rehabilitation department need long-term care, and providing long-term care services can help the quality of home care and reduce the anxiety and burden of caregivers. In 2019, only 19.5% of patients discharged from the rehabilitation department used long-term care services. Through the investigation of the current situation, it was found that the nurses had low awareness of the content of long-term care services, did not actively provide health education guidance, the hospital did not specify the long-term care service process, and there was no long-term care service demand assessment form. The current project was implemented between 2020/2/10 and 2020/10/31. The strategies the project focused on included: the production of long-term care needs assessment forms; the production of long-term care service information cards and reminders; the production of long-term care service QR codes; and participation in long-term care training. The results showed that the rate of patients applying for long-term care services increased from 19.5% to 45.0%. Nurses' awareness of long-term care content increased from 41.4% to 98.4%. This project is a reference for the long-term care service application process for rehabilitation patients, which can improve the quality of care and enable rehabilitation patients to receive continuous care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The multiple symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome lead patients affected by this disease to seek medical advice from different medical disciplines and specialists. Diagnoses are often made many years after initial onset, resulting in mental and physical exhaustion and misunderstandings. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the health-seeking experiences of patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Methods: Qualitative research methods and purposive sampling were used. Fourteen patients with Sjögren's syndrome were interviewed by the first author, and the collected data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Four themes were revealed from the data, including: (1) distressing symptoms; (2) difficulty in diagnosis; (3) concerns about drug side effects; and (4) facing the disease. The participants initially sought medical attention when they began experiencing early onset symptoms that caused discomfort or annoyance. Their doctors' failure to provide proper diagnoses during the long health-seeking process caused a great deal of suffering to the participants. Although related medications should be taken for life, the participants reported taking lower-than-prescribed dosages out of fear of side-effects. The participants explored their process of coping with the disease, which began with denial and ended with acceptance. By learning from their health-seeking process, participants realized that they needed to take proper care of themselves, adapt to life with their disease, and control related symptoms. Conclusions/ Implications for Practice: To facilitate the early diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome, healthcare professionals should improve their awareness of this condition and refer patients with related symptoms to rheumatologists and immunologists. Effective early diagnosis and treatment can help these patients reduce the time and effort involved in unproductive doctor's visits, allowing them to better continue as productive members of society and to maintain a good quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demands of a 24/7 society, shift work is necessary. Shift work is outside the traditional regular 9-to-5 work schedule, is characterized by irregular working hours, and exists in various industries. However, this abnormal working time can disrupt the natural day and night rhythm, and if poorly adjusted, it can lead to shift work sleep disorder (SWSD). SWSD is associated with multiple health risks, including impaired cognitive function, increased risk of accidents, and various metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The frontline nurses typically work shifts to provide comprehensive patient care. This article aims to discuss sleep physiology, apply existing literature to discuss the impact on nurses resulting from shift work, and further offer strategies to regulate sleep to promote physical and mental health. These strategies range from organizational interventions (e.g., optimizing shift schedules) to individual interventions (e.g., lifestyle changes) and the use of chronobiological techniques (e.g., light therapy) to promote the adjustment of circadian rhythms, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system has created a wonderful low-cost medical service system, a so-called Taiwan's medical miracle. But the miracle is due to the exhausting work of the medical staff. But it leaves medical staff with a strong sense of deprivation. There was a wave of exodus of medical staff and they also took to the streets to demonstrate and protest. Taiwan's NHI reform is not without solutions, as long as it can implement "Tiered Medical Care System", "separation of the Dispensing from medical Practice" resources can be rationally redistributed between basic, regional, regional, and medical centers, as well as "copayment" will reduce unnecessary medical resource. The Taiwan's NHI system can offer the highest quality medical service to our peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating hospitals and teaching hospitals are regulated according to the Medical Care Act. The evaluation of hospitals could be traced back to the evaluation of the teaching hospital in 1978 which was held by Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Department of Health of Executive Yuan. However, it was not until the Medical Care Act in 1986, according to which the central competent authority was required to conduct hospital evaluation "as needed," and in 1999, the Department of Health entrusted hospital evaluation to the Joint Commission of Taiwan. After the implementation of the National Health Insurance, in addition to stipulating in the general law that "the fee schedule and reference list of medical services described in the preceding paragraph shall follow the principle of 'equal payment for same nature of illness' and the relative points shall reflect the cost of each medical service." The so-called district hospitals, regional hospitals and medical centers according to the Enforcement Rules of the National Health Insurance Act should be "evaluated and designated by hospital accreditation conducted by the competent authority", so that hospitals of different tiers will have different points of the "standard of payment". In addition to external factors such as hospital image and branding, and recruitment of physicians, the amount of actual revenue from health insurance is the focus of each hospital's bid for accreditation and upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the implementation of the Long-term Care Service Law, the government has had misgivings about the legalization of the long-term care service system and the industrialization of institutions. In addition to concerns about the allocation and use of long-term care funds, there are concerns about improper explanations of local aging and financial resources. Source disputes and other issues. It is recommended that the government review the legislation and amend the policies and regulations on long-term care services as soon as possible so that the legalization of our long-term care service system and the industrialization of institutions can be sound and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education in Taiwan has undergone major changes since 1994. Both the appeals of civil society groups and the content of official reports and subsequent policies are full of neoliberalism discourses. This article conducted document analysis and philosophizing methods, and adopted critical pedagogy as a theoretical framework to achieve the following four research purposes. The first is to analyze the neoliberal discourse within globalization, focusing on academic capitalism and new public management, which have significantly impacted higher education; the second is to review and reflect on Taiwan's 30 years of development of higher education reform through official reports and higher education-related policies; the third is to explore the impact of neoliberalism on higher education, especially the important aspects of governance, curriculum, teaching, learning and teachers in universities; and the fourth is to rethink how future higher education institutions, along with their teachers and students, can break through neoliberalism's influences. Ultimately, this article proposed that universities must re-establish themselves as democratic public spheres in the face of the destruction of democratic values by neoliberal discourse, with university teachers and students as transformative public intellectuals to jointly defend the publicity and social responsibility of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes emphasized that type 2 diabetes care is a person-centered holistic care concept. This article summarizes the concepts of holistic care for individuals with type 2 diabetes and proposes a complete model of the six-layer whole-person care circle for individuals with type 2 diabetes. This model treats individuals with type 2 diabetes as the core of care and adopts their specific needs, preferences, and values to design individualized care plans. The overall goal of care is to maintain quality of life and to avoid or delay complications. Management methods must be holistic. Based on people and comprehensive considerations, six circles of care are listed. The first layer is caregivers, taking into account the influence of the family and the community on the individual. The second layer is multiprofessional and multi-disciplinary team care, which provides support to individuals with diabetes. The third layer emphasizes the need for the following thirteen principles in diabetes care: monitoring and screening for complications, behavior modification for healthy habits, monitoring and continuous assessment, reducing the risk of hypoglycemia, effective implementation and care organization, considering underlying physiological conditions, avoiding therapeutic inertia, considering social determinants of health, psychological factors, structured diabetes education, language proficiency, shared decision-making, and considering regional healthcare institutions and related resources. The fourth layer is the decision cycle of care, which applies the principles of care and conducts continuous and dynamic case management based on the decision cycle. The fifth layer is the healthcare network through which health providers provide hospital, long-term care, and primary clinics/ primary network care referrals based on the needs of individual with diabetes. The sixth layer leverages the chronic care model to construct a supportive healthcare system comprising organizational support, clinical information systems, delivery system design, decision support, self-management support, and community resources. This proposed model may provide a reference for constructing healthcare systems to care for patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Refrigeration is the property of Journal of Refrigeration Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

By reviewing the development of the rights of indigenous peoples in the United Nations (UN) system and the right to health of indigenous peoples in international human rights treaties, we examine the implications of the "Indigenous Health Act" passed on 26 May 2023 in Taiwan. In previous state reports on the implementation of human rights treaties, the government and the International Review Committees (IRC) focused on issues related to the rights concerning self-determination, political participation, equality in judicial remedies, work, education, housing, as well as preservation of cultural properties and languages, while health issues were lacking. During the review cycle for the third report on implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the RC recommended in its concluding observations that the government, informed by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, pass the Indigenous Health Act as soon as possible to establish a legislative framework for protecting the individual and collective right to health. Therefore, we analyse the law's objectives based on the relevant international human rights norms and explore its prospects and challenges for promoting health equities and cultural safety among indigenous peoples in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general anesthesia surgery, endotracheal intubation is used to maintain the patient's airway smoothness, which may cause respiratory tract damage and cause postoperative sore throat. This project was initiated as a result of continuous complaints from patients regarding severe postoperative throat pain. After investigation, it was found that patients with endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia had a moderate to severe postoperative throat pain rate of 43.3%. A task force investigated the current situation and determined the main causes as endotracheal tube balloon fixation and monitoring operations not being standardized. Issues identified included: Anesthesiologists different perceptions of lubricant use during intubation; inadequate use of auxiliary tools and materials; a lack of auxiliary resources for health education; and a lack of audit and improvement mechanism. The methods implemented for improvement included: unifying airbag fixation and monitoring methods; obtaining a consensus on the use of lubricants; producing patient information leaflets; revising the safety operation process of endotracheal intubation; and developing an audit process on endotracheal intubation. After the execution of the improvement strategy, the occurrence of postoperative sore throat dropped from 43.3% to 30.0%, demonstrating effective improvement in the quality of anesthesia care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From January to April 2020, the average rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in the pediatric intensive care unit was 8.7%, which was higher than the standard threshold of 4% in the hospital. A clinical survey found that the completion rate of the central venous catheter care bundle was only 77%. Therefore, this project aimed to improve the completion rate of central catheter combined care. The main reasons for the low completion rate include: insufficient awareness of central catheter combined care; insufficient accessibility and availability of catheter placement-related materials; and lack of audit for central venous catheter care bundle. During the project period from June 2020 to January 2021, intervention focused on the three major areas of cognition, affect and skills as the core, combined with E-oriented education, planning on-the-job education, setting up catheter disinfection boxes and exclusive vehicles, and establishing an audit system. The intervention resulted in the completion rate of central catheter combined care reaching 100%, the correct rate of nursing cognition increased from 84.3% to 98.3%, and the CLABSI decreased from 8.7% to 3.8%. In addition to improve the quality of care and infection control, the project united the medical team and promoted work efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To collect consumers' feedback in a relatively short period, Ideal Profile Method can rapidly and effectively evaluate sensory attributes and liking degree. 60 female consumers in Shanghai, who have the use experience of "nourish skin with oil" products, were invited to evaluate 9 products. The intensity of each sensory attribute of the test product was evaluated, and therefore the intensity of each sensory attribute for ideal product was profiled, and the liking score of each test product was obtained. The test results show that, the sensory intensity and liking score of the test product as evaluated from the 60 consumers have good consistency both at the panel level and at the consumer level, and the ideal product profile is unique. Therefore, the profile of ideal product can be considered as the direction of product optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most hospitalized patients are elderly, and they often spend their time on bed rest during hospitalization. This has resulted in patients losing muscle power and mobility. Aside from that, it has even caused complications and delayed discharge. This project aimed to address this issue. According to our analysis, only 20.2% of elderly inpatients had adequate out-of-bed mobilization. We identified the main causes as follows: 1. The patients lack motivation regarding out-of-bed mobilization; 2. The patients and their caregivers are concerned about the risk of getting out of bed and have insufficient knowledge of out-of-bed mobilization; 3. There is a lack of encouragement from the nurses to get out of bed. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to improve the out-of-bed mobilization rate of elderly patients during hospitalization to 60%. The approaches we adopted were developing a care standard for an out-of-bed mobilization program, holding in-service training, making transfer skill graphic illustration cards and educational pamphlets, and organizing health promotion activities. In doing so, a 66.5% rate of out-of-bed mobilization during the hospitalization of elderly patients was achieved. In conclusion, this project actually enhanced the out-of-bed mobilization rate and improved the healthcare quality during hospitalization. (Tzu Chi Nursing Journal, 2023; 22:4, 73-83) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurse preceptors serve as clinical nurses while also having multiple teaching duties. This high-pressure work environment can easily cause sleep disturbance. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an eight-week mindfulness-based program on work stress and sleep disturbance in nurse preceptors. A single group repeated measures study was conducted with 35 nurse preceptors incorporated into the study. Descriptive and repeated measure ANOVA statistical analysis showed that nurse preceptors in the mindfulness intervention reported significant decreases in sleep disturbance. Although the overall change in work stress was not enough to achieve statistical significance, competency pressure decreased at the 4th and 8th weeks. This study provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based interventions may improve sleep and reduce work competency pressure. (Tzu Chi Nursing Journal, 2023; 22:4, 61-72) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Refractory angina pectoris (RAP) is a chronic, severe chest pain associated with coronary artery disease that cannot be resolved using optimal medical or surgical approaches. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a suitable treatment option. Conventional waveforms of SCS have shown a potent effect on the tempering of RAP. However, SCS is associated with undesired paresthesia. The new burst SCS waveforms have been reported to have fewer adverse effects. Case: We reviewed a case in which RAP was successfully treated with burst SCS in a middle-aged male, with a tonic waveform employed for breakthrough pain as needed. Conclusions: Appropriate use of tonic and burst stimulations according to the symptoms is expected to maximize the effect of relieving chest pain induced by RAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is prevalent in older adults worldwide. Quality of life was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: This study was designed to examine osteoarthritis severity and health-related quality of life (QOL) in older adults with knee osteoarthritis before total knee replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the related predictors of QOL. Methods: This cross-sectional correlation study involved convenience sampling in the orthopedic ward of a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan from June 2020 to June 2021 using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index and the SF-36v2 Health Survey. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, independent samples t test, and one-way analysis of variance to determine correlations among demographic variables, osteoarthritis severity, and QOL. The predictors of QOL were examined using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Results: A total of 60 older adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis were sampled. The average age was 70 years and the average osteoarthritis severity score was 70.45. Being male, having comorbidities, and having a relatively high level of monthly disposable income were associated with poorer QOL. Moreover, more severe knee pain, stiffness, and physical dysfunction were associated with better psychological QOL. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of knee osteoarthritis affects preoperative quality of life in older adults. Clinicians should detect signs of pain and physical dysfunction in these patients in advance and intervene in a timely manner to improve their QOL before surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many literatures revealed that ownership structure ismostly related to business performance, but what kind of connection is different. Therefore, this article attempts to explore the relationship between the ownership structure and business performance, so that investors in the market can refer to the above factors when investing in the future to respond to possible changes in business performance. This article collects annual financial information data and shareholding ratios from 2006 to 2019 to perform a regression analysis of panel data. Before the analysis, a correlation test is used to confirm that there is no collinearity problem among the selected variables, and then through Likelihood Ratio, Lagrange Multiplier, Hausman test selects the fixed-effect model as the most suitable model, so that we can more accurately know the relationship between the concentration of equity and the business performance of the sample we selected.The empirical results show that the equity concentration of Taiwan's leading stocks is positively correlated with corporate operating performance. In addition, from the comparison of the F value of the model fit, it can be found that the model fit with Tobin's Q as the performance indicator is better than the fit with other performance indicators as the explained variable.In addition, through the comparison of appropriate data, supplemented by reasonable derivation and judgment, it is proved that if the debt ratio and debt-to-equity ratio data are available at the same time, the debt ratio should be selected for empirical analysis in order to obtain a more accurate result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]