Effect of proton pump inhibitors versus histamine-2 receptor antagonists on acute kidney injury in septic patients at high risk for developing stress ulcers.

Background: To compare the effects of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) use on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic patients at high risk for developing stress ulcers.

Methods: Using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV version 2.2 database, septic patients with high-risk factors for stress ulcers (i.

Bipolar Switching Properties of the Transparent Indium Tin Oxide Thin Film Resistance Random Access Memories.

In this study, the bipolar switching properties and electrical conduction behaviors of the ITO thin films RRAM devices were investigated. For the transparent RRAM devices structure, indium tin oxide thin films were deposited by using the RF magnetron sputtering method on the ITO/glass substrate. For the ITO/ITO/ITO/glass (MIM) structure, an indium tin oxide thin film top electrode was prepared to form the transparent RRAM devices.

Functional Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Schizophrenia.

Deficits in cognition, physical, and social functions in adults with schizophrenia may become salient with aging. While animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can benefit physical function in older adults and improve symptoms of psychotic disorders, the effect of AAT on middle-aged patients with schizophrenia is unclear. The current randomized controlled trial aimed to explore the efficacy of AAT for middle-aged patients with schizophrenia.

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Middle-Aged and Older Patients With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has the potential to improve the symptomology, negative emotions, and level of well-being in older adults, as well as patients with mental illness. However, there remains limited evidence supporting the treatment efficacy of AAT in middle-aged and older adults with schizophrenia. Therefore, this study implemented a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a 12-week AAT psychological intervention with dogs for middle-aged and older patients with chronic schizophrenia in a clinical setting.

An online coronavirus analysis platform from the National Genomics Data Center.

Since the first reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, spreading to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide. With continued research progress and virus detection, SARS-CoV-2 genomes and sequencing data have been reported and accumulated at an unprecedented rate. To meet the need for fast analysis of these genome sequences, the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC) of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB) has established an online coronavirus analysis platform, which includes assembly, BLAST alignment, genome annotation, variant identification, and variant annotation modules.

Factors influencing the self-perceived competencies in spiritual care of nurses in the long-term care facilities.

Aims: To identify key factors influencing institutional nurses' self-perceived competencies in spiritual care.

Background: In the past decade, interest in spiritual care has been increasing; however, in long-term care facilities, limited knowledge is available about nurses' competencies in spiritual care.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 202 nurses in 11 long-term care facilities.

The 2019 novel coronavirus resource.

An ongoing outbreak of a novel coronavirus infection in Wuhan, China since December 2019 has led to 31,516 infected persons and 638 deaths across 25 countries (till 16:00 on February 7, 2020). The virus causing this pneumonia was then named as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by the World Health Organization. To promote the data sharing and make all relevant information of 2019-nCoV publicly available, we construct the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource (2019nCoVR, https://bigd.

Comparison of microsatellite status detection methods in colorectal carcinoma.

There are two commonly accepted methods for detecting microsatellite status. One is to detect amplified microsatellite loci by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the other is to detect mismatch repair gene (MMR) protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). PCR detection is considered to be accurate in clinical operations while IHC is widely used due to ease of operation and lesser expense.

Dielectric, Piezoelectric, and Vibration Properties of the LiF-Doped (BaCa)(TiSn)O₃ Lead-Free Piezoceramic Sheets.

By the conventional solid state reaction method, a small amount of lithium fluoride (LiF) was used as the sintering promoter to improve the sintering and piezoelectric characteristics of (BaCa)(TiSn)O₃ (BCTS) lead-free piezoceramic sheets. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the inferences of the crystalline and surface microstructures were obtained and analyzed. Then, the impedance analyzer and d-meter were used to measure the dielectric and piezoelectric characteristics.

Molecular Identification of Diphyllobothrium latum from a Pediatric Case in Taiwan.

Human diphyllobothriasis is a parasitic disease caused by ingestion of larvae (plerocercoids) in raw or undercooked fish and commonly found in temperate areas. Rare cases were reported in tropical or subtropical areas especially in children. The first documented case of pediatric diphyllobothriasis in Taiwan had been reported 11 years ago.

The Relationship of Physiopsychosocial Factors and Spiritual Well-Being in Elderly Residents: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice.

Background: Older adults in residential settings frequently suffer from functional decline, mental illness, and social isolation, which make them more vulnerable to spiritual distress. However, empirical evidence of the interrelationships between physiopsychosocial variables and spiritual well-being are still lacking, limiting the application of the biopsychosocial-spiritual model in institutional healthcare practice.

Aims: To explain the mechanisms by which these variables are linked, this cross-sectional study tested a causal model of predictors of spiritual well-being among 377 institutionalized older adults with disability using a structural equation modeling approach.

Structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of iron selenide Fe6-7Se8 nanoparticles obtained by thermal decomposition in high-temperature organic solvents.

Iron selenide nanoparticles with the NiAs-like crystal structure were synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron chloride and selenium powder in a high-temperature organic solvent. Depending on the time of the compound processing at 340 °C, the nanocrystals with monoclinic (M)-Fe3Se4 or hexagonal (H)-Fe7Se8 structures as well as a mixture of these two phases can be obtained. The magnetic behavior of the monoclinic and hexagonal phases is very different.

The discrimination of using the short physical performance battery to screen frailty for community-dwelling elderly people.

Purpose: This study explored the risk factors, cut-off points, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of physical performance testing among community-dwelling frail elderly people in Taiwan.

Organizing Construct: The empirical measurement of frailty is based on the following five indicators: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slow responses, and minimal physical activity. The frail phenotype is considered present if three or more of the indicators are observed.

Notch3 overexpression associates with poor prognosis in human non-small-cell lung cancer.

Notch3 receptor is one of the mammalian Notch family receptors (Notch1-4) which plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Overexpression of Notch3 is associated with tumorigenesis. In order to assess the expression of Notch3 in Chinese non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and determine its association with prognosis, we designed a prospective study with five years of follow-up to evaluate Notch3 expression in NSCLC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous normal lung tissues from 131 patients undergoing surgical treatment by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis.

Multiple interacting factors corresponding to repetitive use of complementary and alternative medicine.

Objective: To examine the factors correlating with repetitive use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Research Design: In 2006, a community-based epidemiological survey was conducted in Taiwan. A total of 2457 participants (1237 men and 1220 women) aged 18 and over participated in the study.

Development of a new prototype for an educational partnership in nursing.

The purpose of this 2-year study was to evaluate a new educational partnership for a nurse-managed community center in Taiwan. This project provided care to senior residents in an apartment complex and was integrated into a nursing educational program in Taiwan. In collaboration with these organizations, an educational partnership model was developed and evaluated.

Ligand- and anion-controlled formation of silver alkynyl oligomers from soluble precursors.

Novel silver(I) alkynyl cluster complexes ([Ag5(bpy)4(C [triple bond] CBu(t))2](3+), [Ag8(bpy)6(C [triple bond] CBu(t))4](4+), and [Ag 12(bpy)4(C [triple bond] CBu(t))6(CF3CO2)6]) have been synthesized by reacting soluble polymeric precursors with bipyridine ligands, and control of the nuclearity can be achieved by varying the molar ratio of the reactants and using different types of anions.

Acupressure and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation in improving fatigue, sleep quality and depression in hemodialysis patients.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of acupressure and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) on fatigue, sleep quality and depression in patients who were receiving routine hemodialysis treatment. The study was a randomized controlled trial; qualified patients were randomly assigned to acupressure, TEAS or control groups. Patients in the acupressure and TEAS groups received 15 minutes of treatment 3 times a week for 1 month, whereas patients in the control group only received routine unit care.

Acupressure and quality of sleep in patients with end-stage renal disease--a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of the study is to test the effectiveness of acupressure on sleep quality of end-stage renal disease patients. The study was a randomized controlled trial; qualified patients in the dialysis centers of four major hospitals were randomly assigned into an acupressure group, a sham acupressure group, and a control group. A total of 98 participants were included in the study.