Effect of a Group-Based Personal Assistive RObot (PARO) Robot Intervention on Cognitive Function, Autonomic Nervous System Function, and Mental Well-being in Older Adults with Mild Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Personal Assistive RObot (PARO) interventions have been used to treat agitation and mood symptoms of dementia effectively. However, the effects of a PARO intervention on physiological and cognitive function are unclear. To examine the effects of a group-based PARO intervention for older adults with mild dementia.

Altered assembly paths mitigate interference among paralogous complexes.

Protein complexes are fundamental to all cellular processes, so understanding their evolutionary history and assembly processes is important. Gene duplication followed by divergence is considered a primary mechanism for diversifying protein complexes. Nonetheless, to what extent assembly of present-day paralogous complexes has been constrained by their long evolutionary pathways and how cross-complex interference is avoided remain unanswered questions.

A Pilot Study to Explore the Improvements in Pulmonary and Cognitive Functions With a Kazoo Intervention Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in a Rural Community.

Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependence in older adults worldwide. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the effect of using a kazoo instrument to improve pulmonary function and cognitive reserve in middle-aged and older adults in rural areas. This quasi-experimental study was conducted at two community care stations selected using cluster sampling from a rural district in southern Taiwan.

Determining the Optimal Vacuum Frying Conditions for Silver Herring () Using the Response Surface Methodology.

Vacuum frying (VF) is a selective technique for producing high-quality fried food that is mostly used on vegetables, fruits, and potato chips. It is rarely applied to the production of aquatic (especially fish) products. The purpose of this study is to explore whether VF technology can be applied to the preparation of dried silver herring products and to obtain the optimal VF conditions.

Compact Sub 6 GHz Dual Band Twelve-Element MIMO Antenna for 5G Metal-Rimmed Smartphone Applications.

In this paper, a twelve-antenna system is designed for 5G smartphones with metal frames. The system is compact and operates on dual bands within the sub-6 GHz frequency range using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Two sets of six-antenna units are included in the system, arranged in a diagonal mirror-image configuration, and positioned at the center of the circuit board's longer edges.

Compact Sub 6 GHz Slot Multiantenna System for 5G Laptops.

A sub 6 GHz dual-band closed-slot multiantenna system for 5G laptops is proposed in this paper. It was installed in a clearance space, with dimensions og 217 × 3 mm and 1 mm away from the upper edge of the screen ground plane. The dimensions of the clearance space were the same as those of a multisystem consisting of six antennas.

Association of interferon-based therapy with risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: A population-based Taiwanese cohort study.

Background: Interferon in combination with ribavirin has been the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) for the past few decades. However, its effect on the risk of autoimmune diseases (ADs) among patients with HCV infection remains unclear. We assessed the potential association between interferon-based therapy (IBT) and AD risk in patients with HCV infection.

The Impact of Engagement with the PARO Therapeutic Robot on the Psychological Benefits of Older Adults with Dementia.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of 8-weeks of a 60-minute PARO intervention to reduce depressive symptoms and loneliness in older adults with dementia and investigated changes in their emotional or behavioral expressions and level of engagement with the PARO robot.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a repeated measures design. The outcome measures were evaluated at four time-points: before the intervention, week 4, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the PARO intervention.

Internet of Things: Development Intelligent Programmable IoT Controller for Emerging Industry Applications.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become critical to the implementation of Industry 4.0. The successful operation of smart manufacturing depends on the ability to connect everything together.

Non-B, Non-C Hepatocellular Carcinoma in an HBV- and HCV-Endemic Area: A Community-Based Prospective Longitudinal Study.

A large community cohort of adults who participated in a health screening program from 2003 to 2013 were prospectively analyzed for the risk factors of non-B, non-C (NBNC) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The serostatus of hepatitis B and C of 52,642 participants was linked to the mortality and cancer registration data of the Health and Welfare Data Science Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. During a median follow-up of 6 years, 35 of the 43,545 participants who were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody developed HCC.

A novel HIF1α-STIL-FOXM1 axis regulates tumor metastasis.

Background: Metastasis is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer that involves in multiple steps including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Centrosome is an organelle that functions as the major microtubule organizing center (MTOC), and centrosome abnormalities are commonly correlated with tumor aggressiveness. However, the conclusive mechanisms indicating specific centrosomal proteins participated in tumor progression and metastasis remain largely unknown.

Self-Participation Experiences among Well-Adapted Hemodialysis Patients.

A successful self-participation experience empowers patients to adapt to living with hemodialysis. However, few studies regarding the subjective experiences of such patient participation have been conducted. This study's purpose was to describe hemodialysis patients' perspectives on integrating hemodialysis into a new life regarding self-participation experience.

Can the Paro be my Buddy? Meaningful experiences from the perspectives of older adults.

This study aimed to explore meaningful experiences of older Taiwanese adults who had received a Paro (social robot) companion. Semi-structured qualitative interviews elicited the perspectives of 25 older adults living in a long-term care facility after they had interacted with an individual Paro companion for 8 weeks. Thematic analysis was used in this study as it allows for rich, detailed, and complex descriptions of qualitative data.

A Restless Stone.

Gallstone ileus is an infrequent cause of mechanical small bowel obstruction. The mortality rate of gallstone ileus remains relatively high, since gallstone ileus usually presents on elderly patients with multiple underlying diseases. Typically, the way of gallstone migration to small bowel is through biliary-enteric flstula, which is a rare complication of chronic cholecystitis.

The C-degron pathway eliminates mislocalized proteins and products of deubiquitinating enzymes.

Protein termini are determinants of protein stability. Proteins bearing degradation signals, or degrons, at their amino- or carboxyl-termini are eliminated by the N- or C-degron pathways, respectively. We aimed to elucidate the function of C-degron pathways and to unveil how normal proteomes are exempt from C-degron pathway-mediated destruction.

A social robot intervention on depression, loneliness, and quality of life for Taiwanese older adults in long-term care.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of a social robot intervention on depression, loneliness, and quality of life of older adults in long-term care (LTC) and to explore participants' experiences and perceptions after the intervention.

Design: A mixed-methods approach consisting of a single group, before and after quasi-experimental design, and individual interview.

Participants: Twenty older adults with depression from four LTC facilities in Taiwan were recruited.

Factors associated with the intention to use adult preventive health services in Taiwan.

Objective: This research aimed to examine the factors associated with the intention to use adult preventive health services in Taiwan.

Design And Sample: Using Andersen's behavioral model, we employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to investigate 500 samples from four communities in southern Taiwan.

Measures: We used a self-reported survey to assess participants' intention to use adult preventive health services, and the predisposing, enabling, and need factors influencing their intention.

Music, heart rate variability, and symptom clusters: a comparative study.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the possible range of change of a single-session music intervention (SMI) on symptom clusters and neurological reactivity for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: A parallel and randomized, controlled study with repeated measures design was used. A total of 100 women with breast cancer were randomly assigned to the SMI or a control group.

Feasibility and Effect of a Multidimensional Support Program to Improve Gerotranscendence Perception and Depression for Older Adults: A Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Control Study.

Improving perception of gerotranscendence can increase life satisfaction in older adults to achieve successful aging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effect of a multidimensional support program (MSP) on gerotranscendence and depression in community-dwelling older adults. Using a cluster-randomized control trial design, four sites (98 participants) were randomly assigned to a MSP or control group.

Comparison of FIB-4 and transient elastography in evaluating liver fibrosis of chronic hepatitis C subjects in community.

Background And Aim: The role of non-invasive methods to evaluate fibrosis severity of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) subjects in community needs to be explored. This study investigated FIB-4 and transient elastography (TE) in staging liver fibrosis of CHC subjects in community.

Methods: A total of 905 subjects who were positive for anti-HCV antibody from five districts of Tainan City of Taiwan were invited to participate in surveillance activities for CHC.

Did AFP-L3 save ultrasonography in community screening?

In the community screening, those subjects with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) required further abdomen ultrasonography (US) to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some chronic hepatitis patients might have elevated AFP. AFP-L3, has been proposed to differentiate HCC and hepatitis in elevated AFP cases in Japan for decades, but the utility is limited outside Japan.

Social Robots for Depression in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of studies using social robots to improve psychological well-being. This systematic review investigates the effect of social robot interventions for depression in older adults.

Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method was used to identify and select existing studies.

Embracing diversity and transcultural society through community health practicum among college nursing students.

Based on 2015 annual report of foreign spouse populations were above 507,266 people in Taiwan. Most of them (68%) came from Mainland China, 29% from south-east Asia. 92% of foreign spouses were female (2015).