Effects of a dementia virtual reality-based training with peer support for home care workers: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Home care workers who are the first-line care workers for community-dwelling dementia patients often have limited dementia knowledge, skills, and empathy towards those with dementia. Research is sparse on dementia care training using virtual reality (VR) technology and support network for home care workers.

Methods: This cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a dementia VR-based training with peer support on dementia knowledge, attitude, competence, and empathy of home care workers.

The Impact of Cost-Containment Schemes on Outpatient Services for Schoolchildren with Refractive Errors in Taiwan-A Population-Based Study.

Objectives: Extant research on cost-sharing finds no impact on health care utilization when the amount is insubstantial. This research investigates the effects on nonacute outpatient services for schoolchildren with refractive errors in Taiwan and discusses the potential harm caused by cost sharing and relevant cost containment policies.

Methods: Longitudinal claims data from the National Health Insurance database are employed.

Contemporary Trends in Global Mortality of Sepsis Among Young Infants Less Than 90 Days: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Current knowledge on the global burden of infant sepsis is limited to population-level data. We aimed to summarize global case fatality rates (CFRs) of young infants with sepsis, stratified by gross national income (GNI) status and patient-level risk factors.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on CFRs among young infants < 90 days with sepsis.

Demographics, Socioeconomic Context, and the Spread of Infectious Disease: The Case of COVID-19.

Importance: Due to the evolving variants of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to understand the relationship between the disease condition and socioeconomic, demographic, and health indicators across regions.

Background: Studies examining the relationships between infectious disease and socioeconomic variables are not yet well established.

Design: A total of 3042 counties in the United States are included as the observation unit in the study.

A dementia care training using mobile e-learning with mentoring support for home care workers: a controlled study.

Background: Caring of older adults with dementia at home can be challenging for home care workers. There is a need to develop suitable training for home care workers to improve the quality of dementia care. We evaluated a 12-week dementia care training including mobile e-learning, social networking, and mentoring support group meetings on the dementia care knowledge, attitude, and competence of home care workers.

Meditative music listening to reduce state anxiety in patients during the uptake phase before positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

Objective: This study examines the effects of listening to meditative music on state anxiety and heart rate variability (HRV) of patients during the uptake phase before positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

Methods: A two-group randomized experimental design was used. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group.

Unsupervised segmentation of lung fields in chest radiographs using multiresolution fractal feature vector and deformable models.

Segmenting lung fields in a chest radiograph is essential for automatically analyzing an image. We present an unsupervised method based on multiresolution fractal feature vector. The feature vector characterizes the lung field region effectively.

The effects of light therapy on depression and sleep disruption in older adults in a long-term care facility.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of light therapy on depression and sleep disruption in older adults residing in a long-term care facility. Psychological morbidity is a problem commonly seen in older adults residing in long-term care facilities. Limited research has addressed the effect of light therapy on depression in this population.

Nebulized hypertonic saline treatment reduces both rate and duration of hospitalization for acute bronchiolitis in infants: an updated meta-analysis.

Nebulized hypertonic saline (HS) treatment reduced the length of hospitalization in infants with acute bronchiolitis in a previous meta-analysis. However, there was no reduction in the admission rate. We hypothesized that nebulized HS treatment might significantly decrease both the duration and the rate of hospitalization if more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included.

Hemopexin is up-regulated in plasma from type 1 diabetes mellitus patients: Role of glucose-induced ROS.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an insulin-dependent metabolic disease in the world and often occurs in children and adolescents. Recent advances in quantitative proteomics offer potential for the discovery of plasma proteins as biomarkers for tracking disease progression and for understanding the molecular mechanisms of diabetes. Comparative proteomic analysis of the plasma proteomes from T1DM cases and healthy donors with lysine- and cysteine-labeling 2D-DIGE combining MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry revealed that 39 identified T1DM-associated plasma proteins showed significant changes in protein expression including hemopexin, and 41 in thiol reactivity.

Effect of time ratio of heat to cold on brachial artery blood velocity during contrast baths.

Background: Contrast baths have been adopted widely in clinics. However, the time ratio of heat to cold modalities has not been well established.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of time ratio on brachial artery mean blood velocity (aMBV) and determine the optimal duration in the second heating phase.

A group music intervention using percussion instruments with familiar music to reduce anxiety and agitation of institutionalized older adults with dementia.

Objective: This experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of a group music intervention on anxiety and agitation of institutionalized older adults with dementia.

Methods: A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group received a 30-min music intervention using percussion instruments with familiar music in a group setting in mid afternoon twice weekly for 6 weeks, whereas the control group received usual care with no music intervention.

Exploring nursing staff's attitudes and use of music for older people with dementia in long-term care facilities.

Aims: This study aimed to explore nursing staff's attitudes and use of music for older people with dementia in long-term care facilities.

Background: Music has shown positive outcomes in managing behavioural symptoms of older people with dementia. Older people living in long-term care facilities often do not have access to trained music therapists.

Clinical Implication of the C Allele of the ITPKC Gene SNP rs28493229 in Kawasaki Disease: Association With Disease Susceptibility and BCG Scar Reactivation.

Background: a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs28493229) in the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase C (ITPKC) gene has been linked to the susceptibility to Kawasaki disease (KD). The implication remains unclear.

Subjects And Methods: genotyping for the ITPKC polymorphism was conducted on 280 unrelated Taiwanese children with KD and 492 healthy ethnically and gender-matched controls.

A preferred music listening intervention to reduce anxiety in older adults with dementia in nursing homes.

Aim: This article reports the results of a study evaluating a preferred music listening intervention for reducing anxiety in older adults with dementia in nursing homes.

Background: Anxiety can have a significant negative impact on older adults' functional status, quality of life and health care resources. However, anxiety is often under-diagnosed and inappropriately treated in those with dementia.

Two different tests for total bilirubin in neonates and infants.

Background: The most readily available methods for testing serum total bilirubin in neonates are the capillary tube-directed optics color method and serum biochemistry. Because inconsistency between these two methods may cause confusion in clinical practice, this study was designed to quantify their differences.

Methods: In 46 neonates with clinical jaundice, total bilirubin was measured by two different methods, using a nonchemical photometric device and a laboratory analyzer.

Qigong practice among chronically ill patients during the SARS outbreak.

Aims And Objectives: This research aimed at exploring the motivations and experiences of chronically ill participants practising qigong during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Hong Kong.

Background: Although biomedicine is the mainstream medical system in Hong Kong, many people employ complementary and alternative medicine in dealing with their chronic health problems. Practising qigong is one of the most popular forms of complementary and alternative medicine used among chronically ill patients.

Heart rate variability monitoring in the detection of central nervous system complications in children with enterovirus infection.

Purpose: Previous studies suggest the possibility of autonomic dysfunction in patients with complicated hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina. Heart rate variability (HRV), an index for autonomic nervous system, may be useful to detect disease progression.

Materials And Methods: From 2001 to 2002, 66 patients (1-9 years old) were enrolled prospectively in either a control (20 patients) or disease (46 patients with HFMD or herpangina) group.

The effects of group music with movement intervention on agitated behaviours of institutionalized elders with dementia in Taiwan.

Background: Agitated behaviours are identified by caregivers as the most challenging in dementia care. Alternative approaches reducing occurrence of agitated behaviours and the need for chemical or physical restraints become valuable for institutionalized elders with dementia.

Objective And Setting: This study was to evaluate the effects of group music with movement intervention on occurrence of agitated behaviours of institutionalized elders with dementia in Taiwan.

Ultrasonic liver tissues classification by fractal feature vector based on M-band wavelet transform.

This paper describes the feasibility of selecting fractal feature vector based on M-band wavelet transform to classify ultrasonic liver images-normal liver, cirrhosis, and hepatoma. The proposed feature extraction algorithm is based on the spatial-frequency decomposition and fractal geometry. Various classification algorithms based on respective texture measurements and filter banks are presented and tested.