Roles, Training, and Qualifications of Case Managers at Community Integrated Service Centers in Taiwan: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Study: This study explored the roles, training, and qualifications of case managers in level A of Taiwan's long-term care (LTC) system, established within the Ten-Year LTC Plan 2.0, to identify their challenges and provide recommendations for enhancing their performance.

Primary Practice Setting: This study focuses on community integrated service centers in Taiwan, which serve as key hubs for delivering LTC services to Taiwan's aging population.

Experiences of Male Indonesian Migrant Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Post-Pandemic Period in Taiwan: A Phenomenological Study.

Introduction: The challenges faced by male migrant workers during the pandemic have not been fully understood. This study aimed to explore the experiences of male Indonesian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan.

Methodology: This study used an interpretive phenomenological design.

Using polycaprolactone and sodium alginate to prepare self-pumping/super-absorbent/transportable drug dressings for stage 3-4 pressure ulcer treatment.

Pressure ulcer dressings with different functions can enhance wound healing ability to varying degrees; however, pressure ulcer dressings that integrate various functions and break the resistance of bacteria to traditional antibiotics have not been widely studied. We proposed a self-pumping/super-absorbent/transportable drug dressing (PLD-SLD), polycaprolactone (PCL)/sodium alginate (SA) was used to load platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) by Janus electrospinning and self-assembly technology, and Ɛ-polylysine was used as a biological bacteriostatic agent to prepare a multi-layer dressing. SEM showed that the dressing had a fluffy structure.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 12 deficiency reprogrammes cellular metabolism to alleviate ferroptosis potential and promote the progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12)-deficient prostate cancer defines a subtype of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with a poor prognosis. Current therapy, including PARP inhibitors, shows minimal treatment efficacy for this subtype of CRPC, and the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

Methods: Based on bioinformatics analysis, we evaluated the relationship between CDK12 deficiency and prostate cancer patient's prognosis and treatment resistance.

Liposome-coated nanoparticle triggers prostate cancer ferroptosis through synergetic chemodynamic-gas therapy.

Ferroptosis has attracted much attention for tumor treatment. It has been recently identified that castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is vulnerable to ferroptosis inducers. Notably, chemodynamic therapy (CDT), triggered by metal ions, could easily induce ferroptosis a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction, but its efficiency was highly dependent on the intracellular HO concentration, posing significant changes for its clinical translation.

Aging-related NOX4-Nrf2 redox imbalance increases susceptibility to cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by regulating mitophagy.

Background: During aging, excessive ROS production in the kidneys leads to redox imbalance, which contributes to oxidative damage and impaired organ homeostasis. However, whether and how aging-related NOX4-Nrf2 redox imbalance increases susceptibility to cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury remain largely unknown.

Methods: In this study, we used cisplatin-challenged aging mouse models and senescent HK-2 cells to investigate the effects and mechanisms of aging on susceptibility to cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

Multifunctional electrospun polycaprolactone/chitosan/hEGF/lidocaine nanofibers for the treatment of 2 stage pressure ulcers.

In this study, a multifunctional nanofiber dressing that can promote antibacterial, analgesic and healing was prepared by electrospinning technology. Hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan (CS)/lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were used as scaffold materials and dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid to prepare spinning solution. The morphology of PCEL dressing was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Elevated 68 Ga-FAPI-04 Activity Due to Staphylococcus aureus Intracranial Infection.

A 37-year-old man was admitted to our hospital after experiencing syncope. An MRI of his head revealed multiple foci of abnormal signal, which could potentially be metastases. The patient then underwent a 68 Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MRI examination, which revealed multiple FAPI-avid foci in the brain.

Validity, reliability, and cross-validation of a new questionnaire developed using the Theory of Planned Behavior: The Dating Violence Bystander Help-giving Intention Questionnaire (DVBHIQ).

The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically test a scale by using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) comprising two types of measurement (direct and belief-based [indirect]) to assess bystander help-giving intention to victims of dating violence among youth. A two-phase, mixed-method design was adopted. The primary source of the samples was five universities, each in the northern, central, southern, eastern, and outer islands regions of Taiwan.

IU1 and enzalutamide combination yields synergistic effects on castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is one of the main treatment modalities for prostate cancer (PCa); however, almost all patients treated with ADT eventually progress into castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Although second-generation androgen receptor (AR) antagonists, such as enzalutamide, have been approved for CRPC treatment, AR signaling in CRPC cells is reactivated through multiple mechanisms, resulting in resistance to treatment and tumor progression with a very poor prognosis. The present study aimed to explore the anticancer effect of a treatment combining AR antagonist enzalutamide with AR degrader IU1 on PCa cells.

Xanthohumol protect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity via Nrf2 activation through the AMPK/Akt/GSK3β pathway.

Objective: Acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the world's popular and safe painkillers, and overdose can cause severe liver damage and even acute liver failure. The effect and mechanism of the xanthohumol on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity remains unclear.

Methods: The hepatoprotective effects of xanthohumol were studied using APAP-induced HepG2 cells and acute liver injury of mouse, seperately.

Psychiatric Nurses' Knowledge and Practice Barriers to Administering Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) Antipsychotics in Taiwan: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Long-acting antipsychotic injections require that psychiatric nurses choose the proper injection site and technique to avoid harming patients. This research conducted a mixed-method study to examine the long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI) knowledge, practice, and administrative barriers in a sample of 269 psychiatric nurses from 3 public psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan. Self-report questionnaires showed female nurses exhibiting higher scores and older nurses demonstrating more knowledge.

Expression Improvement of Recombinant Plasmids of the Interleukin-7 Gene in Chitosan-Derived Nanoparticles and Their Elevation of Mice Immunity.

To investigate a safe and effective approach for enhancing the in vivo expression of recombinant genes and improving the systemic immunity of animals against infectious diseases, we employed the interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene from Tibetan pigs to construct a recombinant eukaryotic plasmid (VRTPIL-7). We first examined VRTPIL-7's bioactivity on porcine lymphocytes in vitro and then encapsulated it with polyethylenimine (PEI), chitosan copolymer (CS), PEG-modified galactosylated chitosan (CS-PEG-GAL) and methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and PEI-modified CS (CS-PEG-PEI) nanoparticles using the ionotropic gelation technique. Next, we intramuscularly or intraperitoneally injected mice with various nanoparticles containing VRTPIL-7 to evaluate their immunoregulatory effects in vivo.

Resilience among women with breast cancer surviving longer than five years: The relationship with illness perception and body image.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the correlations and identify the relationships between the resilience, perception of illness and body image of women with breast cancer in the 5-year-or-above survivorship.

Methods: We used convenient sampling to recruit from an outpatient department 106 women with breast cancer. The inclusion criteria were participants aged >20 years currently in a stable condition and were able to understand the Chinese language.

Experience of Indigenous Peoples' Access to Long-Term Care Services in Taiwan: A Qualitative Study among Bunun Tribes.

Indigenous communities usually have poorer access to long-term care services than non-indigenous communities because of their remote locations and unique cultural backgrounds. However, there was little exploration into the experience of indigenous people's access to the official long-term care services in Taiwan-the gap this study aimed to fill. A qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews was used to obtain data from a purposive sample.

6-Valent Virus-Like Particle-Based Vaccine Induced Potent and Sustained Immunity Against Noroviruses in Mice.

Norovirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, and no vaccine is currently available. The genetic and antigenic diversity of Norovirus presents challenges for providing broad immune protection, which calls for a multivalent vaccine application. In this study, we investigated the possibility of developing a virus-like particle (VLP)-based 6-valent Norovirus vaccine candidate (Hexa-VLPs) that covers GI.

Effect of thermal activation and particle size on cementitious activity of bauxite tailings.

To explore the influence of thermal activation and particle size on cementitious activity of bauxite tailings, in this study, the raw bauxite tailings were classified into coarse bauxite tailings (CBT) and fine bauxite tailings (FBT) by a powder separator, and then the effect of activation temperature on cementitious activity of CBT and FBT was investigated. XRD, TG, and FTIR were used to study the phase and structure changes of CBT and FBT during the process of thermal activation. The results show that the main mineral phases of CBT and FBT, diaspore and kaolinite, begin to remove a large amount of hydroxyl groups at 500 ℃ and convert into corundum and metakaolin, respectively.

Mental Health Nurses' Tacit Knowledge of Strategies for Improving Medication Adherence for Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Study.

Non-adherence to medication among patients with schizophrenia is an important clinical issue with very complex reasons. Since medication administration is an essential nursing responsibility, improving strategies for patient medication compliance must be fully understood. This study aimed to explore the strategies mental health nurses (MHNs) implement in clinically improving patients with schizophrenia and to describe the nurses' tacit knowledge of application strategies.

Interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks with enhanced photoluminescence for selective recognition of -xylene from xylene isomers.

Two novel luminescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [Zn(TCA)(BPB)] (DZU-101, where HTCA = 4,4',4''-tricarboxyltriphenylamine and BPB = 1,4-bis(pyrid-4-yl)benzene) and [Zn(TCA)(BPB)DMA] (DZU-102), based on the same ligands and metal ions were synthesized by regulating the amount of water in the solvothermal reaction system. Structural analyses show that the two MOFs have pillar-layered frameworks with Zn clusters connected by the TCA and BPB ligands. Interestingly, DZU-102 possessed a two-fold interpenetrated framework distinct from the individual network of DZU-101.

Gender Differences in How Parents, Peers, and Exposure to Sexually Explicit Materials Influence the Intention to Engage in Casual Sex among Adolescents and Young Adults in Taiwan: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior.

The aims of this study were to examine gender differences in how parent-child discussions on sex issues, peer interactions around sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials affect the intention to engage in casual sex among adolescents and young adults in Taiwan. This cross-sectional survey study recruited 767 participants (348 men and 419 women) aged 15-24 years. The survey collected data on participants' intention to engage in casual sex, their attitude toward and perception of casual sex based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (favorable attitude, perceiving positive social norms toward casual sex, and perceived control over involvement), parent-child and peer discussions about sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials.

Nurses' experiences of emergency department triage during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.

Purpose: To explore the experiences of nurses working in emergency departments in selecting and triaging patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Descriptive phenomenology was applied in this study.

Methods: Data were collected from nurses working at hospitals in Indonesia using snowball sampling and telephone interviews.

Comparing Fear of COVID-19 and Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Between Iranian and Taiwanese Older People: Early Reaction May Be a Key.

This study assessed fear of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19), preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors, and the association between fear of COVID-19 and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors among older people in Iran and Taiwan. Older people aged over 60 years ( = 144 for Iranians and 139 for Taiwanese) completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and two items on preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (i.e.

Inhibition of HMGB1 Might Enhance the Protective Effect of Taxifolin in Cardiomyocytes via PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect millions of people and spend a lot of medical costs around the world each year. Taxifolin is a natural anti-oxidative reagent obtained from multiple plants and exhibits a wide range of pharmacological effects. High mobility group box protein 1 () is expressed in multiple types of cells in the extracellular environment, regulating the pro-inflammatory process.

Recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus AdC7 expressing dimeric tandem-repeat spike protein RBD protects mice against COVID-19.

A safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed to control the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Four adenovirus-vectored vaccines expressing spike (S) protein have been approved for use. Here, we generated several recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus (AdC7) vaccines expressing S, receptor-binding domain (RBD), or tandem-repeat dimeric RBD (RBD-tr2).